


Easy Way Out: Season 3 - On the Road

by Jak_Dax



Series: Easy Way Out: A Merle Dixon X Reader Series [3]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Ambushes and Sneak Attacks, Arguing, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Attempted Sexual Assault, Brother-Sister Relationships, Burns, Canon-Typical Violence, Dreams, Driving, Drunkenness, Escape, Explosions, F/M, Feelings Realization, Friends to Lovers, Golf, Gun Violence, Horseback Riding, Hospitals, Kidnapping, Kissing, Knifeplay, Love Confessions, Mild Gore, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Content, Military Backstory, Minor Character Death, Motorcycles, Mountaineering, Neck Kissing, Pain, Painting, Piano, Police Brutality, Sexual Tension, Singing, Sleep Deprivation, Slow Burn, Teenage Drama, Wet Dream, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-05-18 09:02:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 66,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14849819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jak_Dax/pseuds/Jak_Dax
Summary: You've finally settled in the prison with the others and with the death of the Governor, everything is looking up... Right?





	1. I Will Fear No Evil

Merle's head pounded as he stumbled into his cell, his ears still ringing. Muffled screams and shouts along with gunfire sounded from outside, but the cellblock doors did a great job of keeping the sound out.

The headache grew larger as the redneck tried to ignore the burning pain on his back. Merle tried to keep his eyes opened, but the explosion had happened too close to his head. The ringing only got louder as Merle collapsed to his side on the bed. He took in a shallow breathe as his vision went black.

~Earlier in the Day~

Many celebrated the death of the Governor. The former residents of Woodbury, the farmer's daughter and the Chinese kid, and anyone else who was done wrong by him. Some people approached Merle and thanked him for finishing the man, but Merle brushed it off. He was glad the cyclops was gone, too, but he didn't want to be congratulated for killing another human being.

"That dick, bastard, son of a bitch!" Daryl punched the walls above his nest, anger burning through his veins as his knuckles began to become raw. Merle intervened, having been given the spiel about Rick banishing Carol. Daryl wasn't taking it well, but no one would, hearing their best friend was banished.

"Hurtin' yourself won't bring her back here, little brother." Merle warned, grabbing Daryl's shoulder. The younger Dixon shrugged him off as he let out a huff of anger.

"She's tough, strong but... She's never been on her own." Daryl paced, clenching and unclenching his hands. "I should be out there. I should be out there with her."

"Knowin' that woman, she's probably hurryin' back to get you." Merle snorted earning a sharp and harsh glare from his brother. "I'm bein' serious. You two are too good for each other to be separated now. She'll be back, brother. Just you wait."

"Rick still hasn't told Tyreese, said he was saving it for tonight." Daryl shook his head. "Only reason I'm glad she's gone. If he had hurt her... I don't know if I could stop after gettin' started on him."

"Sheesh, ya really want her, huh?" Merle grinned more and leaned against the cellblock railing.

"I don't WANT her, not like that." Daryl shifted uncomfortably. "You know I'm not up for the kissing-cuddling, much less sex."

"Unfortunately, I know."

"But I need her. I need her here. I need to know she's safe and alright. I need to know she's alive." Daryl sighed, collapsing onto his nest.

"... Ya really love her."

"... She's the first who's ever given a damn about me. I don't deserve it. I don't deserve her." Daryl lowered his head into his hands. "And now she's gone... And I couldn't do a damn thing about it."

"..." Merle lowered himself to a knee beside his brother, his grin washed away. He bit the inside of his cheek, trying to pull down his pride for a moment. "Brother, if she ain't back here by tomorrow night, I'll go out with you. We'll go get her and bring her back."

"Bullshit."

"I mean it. Besides, she's the best cook around here." Merle offered a half-grin, as Daryl sighed and brought his face up.

"Alright. I'm keeping you to it."

~

The sun was beginning to fall in the sky as most of the survivors gathered together for their sing along. Merle rolled his eyes at the occasion, but remembered his own little "event" that was set up. Merle smirked a little as he walked through the silent tombs, heading to a familiar storage room. He was pleased to find Emma already there, dressed in a robe and a cigarette between her fingers. She smiled seeing him step into the room, as she snubbed out the bud.

"I thought you would never show." Emma purred, as Merle's smirk only grew a little.

"Sorry I kept you waitin', sugah tits." Merle began to unbutton his shirt, having trouble with his one hand, as Emma rose to her feet. She brought a hand up, tracing it along Merle's stubble and lips. She began to lower her hands down, when suddenly a large rumble that shook the whole room halted both their movements. "The hell?"

"An earthquake?" Emma suggested, but they both knew better. Merle buttoned a couple buttons back as Emma tightened her robe and they both hurried out of the storage room. They began to hear panicked shouts as they reached the exit doors to the prison. They pushed their way out and were stunned at the sight waiting to greet them. Outside the fences visible with the remaining light sat a huge tank, along with some people gathered around it.

Merle looked over, seeing most of the men line up at the fences bordering the building, readying guns. Rick and Hershel in the distance made their way to the outer fences to talk to whomever had the tank. The TANK. Merle recognized it as the one the Governor acquired after killing dozens of soldiers. Merle had helped killed those soldiers.

Emma hung back as Merle moved forward to where he saw his brother sat with a few of the others, readying guns. He noted the people not armed were being ushered by the Asian kid to the back. Merle recalled the buses and assumed they were escaping to one of those. Merle dropped down beside Daryl.

"What the hell is going on, brother?" Merle asked, as Daryl glanced at him.

"Tank 'n people came in. Blew up one of the outposts, luckily it wasn't occupied." Daryl explained, as his lips dipped into a frown. "They want to talk with Rick, but who the hell knows what's really goin' on..."

"I think maybe they know the Gov'nor." Merle stated, receiving a wide-eyed look from Daryl. Merle huffed. "I helped the man snag that tank, they're definitely affiliated with him. We only had two rounds to shoot in it though, so they wasted one round."

"Think they know you killed him?"

"How the hell would they find that out? The man was alone and the body is burned. All evidence is gone." Merle pointed out, though he was starting to consider some smaller evidence.

The Governor could have came in a car and left it to the side of the road, if they found it close to here, they could make the assumption... Someone could have accompanied him and witnessed the scene... And then there was the pistol Merle had took as a trophy after killing the Governor, which was now stuffed away in his cell.

"Whether they know or not, they're here 'n they don't look happy." Daryl grumbled as they both turned their focus to the fence. Rick and Hershel were talking with them, but it wasn't clear how the conversation was going. One man stood on the tank, shouting some stuff down at them and to the side of the tank was a woman who seemed to be adding stuff in. Their intentions were not clear and it was beginning to bother Merle.

But one gunfire changed everything.

The old man dropped to the ground. Dead. His daughter, Maggie, let out a scream as her blondie sister watched on in horror. Merle gritted his teeth, wishing he had a firearm on him. The old man didn't deserve to die, not like this. The woman beside the tank lowered her gun, shouting something.

The tank broke through the fence as the unfamiliar group trickled in through the giant gap left behind. Rick recoiled back and began running back towards the bordering fences. Merle heard him shout, but he wasn't sure what he said. But he got the message. Everyone raised their firearms and began shooting at the invading group.

A couple bodies dropped, but the ones still approaching were getting close and everyone knew it was a real fight to the death. Merle's hand itched for a firearm.

"Merle!" The redneck looked over as the girl hurried to his side, her father's rifle strapped over her shoulder. She tossed him something that glinted silver in the fading sun. He caught it and found her derringer. "You got four shots. Make 'em count."

Merle grinned, holding true to that promise. The redneck stood to his feet and held up the gun, blowing the head off the closest approaching enemy. First shot. The others rose to shoot or fight with their melee weapons. All hell broke loose.

Merle busied himself with stabbing any person or Walker that neared his brother, covering him. He caught glimpses of the others and what they were doing. Tyreese was heading back with some of the other men to cover the retreating survivors, the Greene sisters and Glenn following his lead. Sasha and Bob were putting down walkers that swarmed in, occasionally killing an invader, too.

The tank began to drive up the field and stopped in front of the fence. The top popped open and the man shouting appeared, beginning to fire lead on the group. Everyone ducked behind some scrap metal, taking cover from the fire. But not everyone was so lucky. Merle watched a bullet slam into Emma, her body dropping to the ground.

Merle cursed as he glanced at the others. He didn't feel any major loss, but he still knew her, so it was a loss nonetheless.

"We need more firearms." Daryl exclaimed over the gunfire, as he began to load his crossbow. "We're gonna run out of ammo soon and these guys got a metal-movin' shield."

"Has that ever stopped ya before, brother?" Merle sent Daryl a confident look, as he braced himself, ready to get moving. "I'll get some more of the firearms. Hunker down and see what ya can do about the pussy in the tank."

"Merle!" Daryl shouted, as the older Dixon stood and began to sprint across the expanse to the barrels filled with guns. He heard a couple loud shots fired and looked over to see the girl covering his back, as she fired at anyone who noticed them. Reaching the barrels filled with weapons, Merle strapped two assault rifles to his back and shoved a pistol into the back of his pants, keeping the other in his hand. The girl braced against the wall as he gave her a serious look.

"You tryin' to get yourself killed?"

"Trying to keep us both alive." The girl looked to Merle, giving him a slight smile. "I'm sticking by your side, Merle. You should know this already."

"Fine, but if you get killed, I'm kicking your ass."

"Deal."

"Duck." The girl immediately dropped down, as Merle swung up her derringer, shooting an invader in the head. Second shot. ___ straightened up, giving him a grateful look.

The girl moved forward, grabbing a few weapons, too. As they both sprinted their way back over. Merle tossed the pistol to an open hand and removed the rifles, passing one to his brother and tossing the other to the sharpshooter. Merle aimed the pistol he held and began to shoot down any invader in the vicinity, letting others deal with the walkers.

Merle caught sight of Rick out in the field, gunning down invaders and walkers that began to swarm into the prison field. The woman who had shot the old man began to approach Rick, but Merle didn't worry about it. He didn't miss the mute who approached the woman from behind, cutting the woman's head clean off her body with her katana. Daryl was trying to pick off the man in the tank. The man ducked back into the tank and before anyone could think about it, the tank fired.

The shell hit the ground directly behind Merle and the others, exploding on impact. A few stragglers were killed and Merle felt the burn as the shrapnel tore up his shirt. But it was the ringing from the explosion that did him in. Daryl turned to his brother, grabbing his shoulder and said something to him, but Merle couldn't hear. Merle thought of his time in the military, how he prepared for something like this.

It was still hell.

Daryl looked concerned, but turned his attention back to the tank as the man appeared back at the top. His brother notched a bolt into his crossbow and fired it, hitting the man square in the chest. Merle felt another, gentler touch on his shoulder and looked up to find the girl.

Despite the circumstances, she still looked like that little angel who came in when his ribs were aching. Her expression panicked, sweat dripping down her face, her hair strewn and unfixed. Her eyes were wide as she looked at his back, her mouth moving as she said something. She moved past him and rushed off. He watched her go, wondering why she fled and wondering if he was the reason for it.

Merle got to his feet, following after the girl, ignoring the searing pain across the side of his back. The girl didn't notice his approach from behind, she also didn't notice the invader who was running up and about to raise their gun. Merle lifted the derringer, gunning down the invader. Third shot.

The girl looked back, stunned, and held up her palm to Merle. She said something, again, before lowering her hand and running off. Merle stumbled and leaned against the prison building wall. He noticed the cellblock door leading to his cellblock and recalled his pistol he won. He clicked open the cellblock door and slipped inside.

~Reader's P.O.V.~

"Merle!" You shouted at the redneck, though he seemed to look more confused than focused as he stared at you blankly. You frowned and kept your palm held up. "Get back to your brother! I'm going to grab us a ride and get out of here!"

Merle winced, leaning against the prison wall as you turned around and ran towards the back of the building. You thought about the stables and how you could ride out with horses, but there was too many walkers in that direction. You prayed the horses would be alright, as you ran around the side to the vehicles. Your hopes dropped, finding most of the vehicles shot up and in smokes. Aside from one.

You rushed over to Merle's bike and climbed on, cheering when you found the key still stuck in. You've never driven a motorcycle before, but you hoped the few experiences you had with Merle on it would help. The bike roared to life as you turned the key. You kicked up its stand and lifted your feet to rest on the pegs. The bike lurched forward and you found yourself skidding around the corner, heading back to the others.

Or you would've, if they were there.

Your heart lurched, finding no one where you had left them. Just a bunch of walkers roaming about. The sun was almost gone and you did your best to see through the dark. You glanced at the field and didn't find Rick, Michonne, anybody.

A dark foreboding began to loom over your head. Did they all get away? The bus left and some of the others probably ran for it, if you were going to find anyone, you'd have to drive out and find them. You revved the bike and drove out of the prison yard, heading the back way where the bus would have left.

You drove onto the paved road and sped up the bike, rolling down the street. Your balance faltered for a moment and you hoped you'd find Merle. Or someone who knew how to ride a bike. As if to answer your prayers, you caught the familiar form of Daryl in the dark and rode up. You slowed down beside him, noticing he had Beth with him.

"Think you can drive?" You asked, as a look of relief crossed the younger Dixon's face.

"Move 'side, girl." You scooted back, as Daryl climbed on in front of you and hooked his crossbow to the side of the bike. The bike was really only made for two people to ride, but Daryl scooted forward and with you pressed against his back, Beth was able to climb on, too. Daryl took easy control of the motorcycle and sped down the road, making the wind whistle past you.

"___! Did you see if Maggie got out?!" Beth shouted to you over the wind, holding onto you tight, but being careful with her legs near your ice picks.

"I'm not sure, Beth! I didn't see her alive or dead back there, so I'm sure she got out!" You glanced back slightly, shifting the rifle strapped across your shoulder. "Your sister is tough Beth! She's out there somewhere, getting to a safe place!"

"I hope we find her!" You heard the pain in Beth's voice and you couldn't imagine how the girl was feeling. Watching her father die, getting separated from her sister, all in the same day. You unraveled one arm from around Daryl's waist and put your arm over Beth's in a sign of comfort.

"I'm sorry, Beth!" You called back, trying to sound genuine despite having to yell. You didn't get a vocal response, but you did feel the younger girl press her head against your back. You felt her form shake slightly and you knew she was crying. You sighed and focused your attention to Daryl. "Daryl! Did you see Merle get out?!"

"Last I saw him, he was with you!" Daryl raised his voice so you could hear. "Damn! That son of a bitch had better have gotten out of there!"

"I hope so, too!" You sighed, your stomach twisting. If Merle was truly gone... You weren't sure what you'd do. He had gotten you through a real rough patch and at the moment, he was your anchor to life. To make things worse, he worked better with you and Daryl. If he left with some of the others, things could get ugly.

Night had finally fallen and not wanting to attract others, Daryl kept the light to Merle's bike off. He knew the road, so he just easily cruised along it. Hopefully you all would find some shelter for the night, being out in the dark wasn't safe. Not only because of walkers, but people, too. You shivered thinking of Terminus.

You hoped the others wouldn't cross its path. Daryl continued to drive down the road, all of you quiet for the rest of the journey.

~Merle's P.O.V.~

"No way..." Merle groaned at the voice, as he rolled onto his side but the shock of pain caused him to quickly roll back onto his other side, his eyes flying open. Merle began to register his last waking moments, before looking up at the familiar Asian. Glenn looked down at Merle with wide eyes, dressed in prison armor. "You're still here? And alive?"

"Course I am. No one can kill Merle, 'cept Merle." The redneck huffed and brought a hand back, lightly touching his burn. It wasn't fresh anymore, but it still stung like a mother. "What the hell do you mean 'still here'?"

"You really don't know what's up, do you?" Glenn frowned, straightening up. "Merle, the prison was invaded by all those people. They're all dead, but hundreds of walkers swarmed in. I was collapsed, but everyone else got out. Everyone's gone."

"What?!" If Merle wasn't awake before, he was now. They were all gone? Daryl, the girl, everyone. After months of being separated from his brother, it just happens again?! Merle let out a shout, slamming the back of his clenched fist against the wall. "How long was I out?"

"It's the next morning, Merle." Glenn frowned a little, before slouching in posture and lowering his head. "I'm sorry, Merle. This is all... shit..."

"Well, I'm not sittin' around here, waitin' for them to get farther." Merle stood from his bed, ignoring the sting from his back as he grabbed his bag, packing up his stuff. Not an easy process with just one hand. "We get out there fast enough, I could track them."

"Really?" Glenn asked, hope in his voice. His hand unconsciously touching the ring around his finger. Merle quickly caught on, the kid was missing his wife and she couldn't be doing well. No one would seeing their father shot down.

"I'm not as good as Daryl, but it's better than nothing." Merle finished packing up, not having much to take. "I'm givin' ya five minutes to pack up stuff and anything else you can think of to grab."

"Right." Glenn nodded, hurrying out of the cell. Merle huffed, before stepping out of his cell and glancing to the one besides his. He stepped into the girl's cell, feeling a bit unnerved at its neatness. She was just here the night before and now she'd never see it, again, if she were still alive. The derringer felt heavy in his pocket as he stepped into the cell, considering going through her stuff.

If she were here, she wouldn't appreciate his snooping around, but she might appreciate getting some of her stuff back. If they were to meet up on the road, again, that is. Without anymore hesitation, Merle got down and began to go through the girl's stuff. He ignored clothes, he couldn't carry much with him and they could just find more along the way, though he did slow in his search when he found a navy blue dress. He recalled Daryl's story about finding the girl on the roof, dolled up and alone.

Merle gritted his teeth, feeling guilty about the occasion. He should have been there to comfort her or to at least knock in the teeth of the guy that hurt her. He hoped that bastard was dead. He glanced back down at the dress, with its long sleeves and its conservative style, aside from where it cut off at the knees. He imagined her wearing it and confirmed in his mind that she would have looked sexy.

Still too young, Merle reminded himself, as he moved on. He found more ammo for the derringer and stuffed it away in his bag. As he dug deeper into the girl's bags, more valuable items were to be found.

Her tools for fixing her snow gear, more specifically her ice picks and that one time she repaired Merle's bayonet arm. He also found several sticks of candles for light and shoved them into his own bag. Those silly rice bags she always kept around. And lastly, her father's first aid kit. Merle packed all these things away, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

He hesitated, glancing at the book on her side table. Ordinary People. They spent a lot of time just sitting around, her reading and him commenting. He considered taking the book, but he was quick to realize that the book wasn't what made those memories. Any book could have done it, he'd just have to find another with her.

Merle stepped out of the cell and stepped over to his brother's nest. He was quick to grab his brother's spare quiver of bolts, before rummaging through his piles of blankets and furs for anything else. Merle stuffed away his brother's poncho, as a glimpse of color caught his eye. A smirk broke out across Merle's face, as he brought up a head scarf, the same one he remembered Carol wearing every now and then back in Atlanta.

"Yeah, he definitely doesn't want her." Merle remarked sarcastically to himself as he packed away the scarf for his brother. Or Carol, whoever he ran into first. She might be interested to hear that Daryl had it with him.

"I got everything." Glenn spoke up as he stepped out into the middle of the cellblock floor below. Merle pulled his bag back over his shoulder as he got to his feet. He made his way down the stairs as Glenn frowned a little. "How do you suggest we get out of here? On foot?"

"Ya know... I got another idea." Merle smirked as he stepped out of the cellblock, Glenn hesitantly following behind him.

~

After patching up his side and grabbing the CDs from the girl's shot up car, Merle and Glenn made their way down to the stables. Merle explained his idea to Glenn and once they stepped into the stables, Glenn was still in disbelief.

"You sure? She's not my horse." Glenn was hesitant, but as Blizzard pushed against his shoulder with her muzzle, he loosened up and patted her cheek. Merle strapped a saddle onto Harley, shoving his bag into one of the saddle bags, filling the other one with the leftover ammo. The redneck had found Flame torn apart by walkers, but the stables were still up. He was relieved when he stepped in, finding the other horses still there, if not a bit spooked.

He unlatched all their stalls, but only led out Harley and Blizzard, since they were the only horses that tolerated him. The others he hoped would just run off eventually. He put out food and water for the two horses, as he set them both up for the journey ahead. Hoping it wouldn't be too long.

"That horse likes anyone who will give her a snack." Merle picked up some of the celery he'd snagged from the garden and tossed it to Glenn, who caught it. "Feed her that 'n she'll love ya."

"If you say so." Glenn lifted the treat up and Blizzard happily took it. Glenn hesitated as he glanced at Merle. "You know, for hating me, your being really cool right now. Thanks for that."

"Haven't ya caught on, chopsticks?" Merle glanced at Glenn, receiving an annoyed look though the kid wasn't surprised. "As long as ya don't push and press me, keep your distance, and don't question me, I won't feel the need to smash your head in."

"And if your doing something stupid?"

"I never do anything stupid." Merle scoffed, as Glenn merely rolled his eyes. "Besides, it's stupid tah not work together when we both have the same objective."

"Finding our women." Glenn nodded, though Merle choked at the choice of his words.

"The hell ya just say?" Merle sputtered, though he quickly gained his composition along with a bit of anger. "Emma died in the fight, slot machine."

"Emma? No, I meant..." Glenn trailed off as he noticed the cold look from Merle, he gulped as he moved to climb onto Blizzard's back. "Never mind."

"Like hell." Merle growled, lifting his bladed arm up threateningly at Glenn. "What the hell did ya mean? What were you goin' to say?"

"It's nothing, I just thought you liked someone else. But I was wrong and it doesn't matter now." Glenn tried to quickly shut down the conversation, but Merle was stubborn. He wanted to know what the Asian was hiding from him

"Who the f*** did ya think I fancied from yer little group? I'm tellin' yah now, I think they're all pricks. So, whatever your answer, it's the wrong one." Merle glared harshly at Glenn, but the younger man didn't seem phased. He was used to Merle at this point.

"You want to know? Fine. I thought maybe you liked ___." Glenn answered, honestly though he looked exasperated. Merle hesitated, his blade lowering. "I know, it's stupid. And maybe it bothered me a little at first, since she is so young. But you both look out for each other and even if you don't like her, it really seemed like she liked you."

"I'm no cradle-robber, ya son-" Merle started, but was cut off by Glenn.

"I know you aren't. But it never seemed like you wanted her that way." Glenn frowned a little. "I don't think she wanted you that way either. I thought your situation was a lot like Daryl's and Carol's. Except the roles are reversed when it comes to age."

"..." Merle wanted to bite back and shout, telling the kid he was wrong. He wanted to feel disgusted at the thought of being with the girl. But all Merle could feel was a little upset at the girl not being there. He wished his brother was here, too, to knock some sense into him. Merle sighed and climbed onto Harley, doing a good job for having only one hand. "Well, yer wrong. Let's go, chopsticks."


	2. Two Green-Brokes

"Holy shit." Glenn slowed down Blizzard as he and Merle approached the prison gates. Merle looked over, confused, but then saw what Glenn was looking at. There was a girl, sitting in a boxed off fence area, just staring at the ground. "She's alive..."

"Wait a moment..." Merle squinted beginning to recognize the girl. "She was one of 'em who stormed the prison."

"What should we do?"

"Leave her for dead."

"Merle."

"Are you listenin' to me, boy? She and all those other bastards came in here and shot up our people. They made your girl run for the hills and separated me from my brother. She can rot for all I care." Merle huffed, glaring off at the girl.

"She's lost people, too, Merle. At this point, what would trying to kill us do?" Glenn maneuvered Blizzard to turn and head over to the girl. Merle sighed and urged Harley after the Asian kid. "Hey!"

The girl didn't even lift her head, despite the kid's calls. Merle sent him a look, but Glenn ignored it as he slid off the horse. He stepped over and noticed the pistol beside the girl, he quickly snatched it up. The girl didn't react, keeping her head down. Glenn checked the gun and looked to Merle with a surprised expression, before looking back to the girl.

"It's full. Did you even fire a shot?" Glenn asked, but still received no response. He frowned before turning back to Blizzard and climbing back onto her. He called out to the girl. "All right. Let's go."

Still no response, the girl didn't even move. Merle opened his mouth to point out how pointless this was, but Glenn determinedly broke in before he could talk.

"Let's go. Are you just gonna stay here, huh? You're just gonna die?" Glenn asked, a little harshly. Merle glanced at him, a little surprised. He supposed this wasn't the first time he'd seen the kid snap. The girl sighed, but didn't lift her head.

"I was part of this." She stated.

"I know."

"So what are you doing?" The girl looked up now, looking confused and warily at the two men.

"We need your help. We're gonna head out there and we might have enough guns, but we don't have enough arms to use them." Glenn gestured to Merle, who casually lifted his bladed arm in a wave. The girl's eyes widened at the sight.

"You sure?" The girl asked slowly.

"I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't."

"Are you both sure?" The girl glanced at Merle, who gave her a dark smirk in response.

"He's too stubborn tah listen tah reason. You're lucky we aren't doin' this on my terms." Merle warned, an edge to his voice.

"Alright... Good enough for me..." The girl gulped, averting her gaze back to Glenn. He offered her a hand and she stood up, getting pulled up onto Blizzard. Merle huffed and flicked his reins, leading back to the prison gates.

"Here." Glenn offered her a gun which she hesitantly took. "You'll need to cover me, since I can't shoot and ride. But I suggest you don't shoot either of us. I'll stab you if you shoot him and if you shoot me, he'll do something much worse."

"He ain't wrong!" Merle called as they made their way across the trampled fences. Once the horses were out on the beaten rode, Merle slapped the reins with his one hand and Harley shot down the rode. Glenn sighed and he ushered Blizzard forward. The horse whinnied and began to run to catch up with the other, the girl holding onto Glenn for dear life. This went on for another fifteen minutes, before the horses slowed down to a canter to conserve energy.

"Did you see if any of my other people got out?" Glenn finally asked the girl, now that they had slowed down.

"All I saw was my sister in that field. She wasn't supposed to be there. She had a gun, but they just swarmed her. She wasn't supposed to be there." The girl gave a shuddered sigh as she closed her eyes. "She loved that man... The one your group killed... She heard your group was bad and when we all heard you killed Brian... She was so angry..."

"Brian, that what he called himself?" Merle scoffed, a smirk coming back to his face. "Man called himself Governor to me, had me under his thumb fer months. Had me goin' out killin' other groups. Takin' everything they had."

"You're joking..." The girl became a pale white.

"I don't joke, not about stuff like that. I'm the one who killed him." He said it so casually, but the girl looked about ready to fall out of the saddle.

"But why?"

"Son of a bitch was goin' to take some of our people hostage, kill all of us was his goal." Merle shrugged. "Took his life to save others."

"Didn't save everyone." The girl shook her head, looking to the road ahead. "When we heard he was dead, it was only a couple hours after my niece got bit."

The men were silent at that new piece of information.

"My sister lost everything yesterday... She never would have shot that old man before all of this." Merle watched Glenn stiffen at that and he decided to keep his mouth shut for the rest of the conversation.

"Your sister... She shot Hershel?" Glenn looked to Merle, horror written across his face. "Hershel's dead?"

"You didn't see?" Merle asked.

"I was getting in the bus with the others!" Glenn shook his head, his expression in a permanent state of disbelief. "He can't be... He can't be, not after all of this!"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Brian, mentioned to us that you were bad people. I know it's not true. I can see it's not, so what we did, what I did... I mean, I'm a piece of shit." The girl choked on her words and the boys knew she was going to cry. Merle kept his gaze ahead, comforting people was not his forte, especially not strangers. "Why would you want my help?"

"We don't want it, we need it. I have to find Maggie."

"Who's Maggie?"

"She's my wife." Glenn answered grimly.

"You guys got separated?" The sympathy was thick in the girl's voice, almost empathy. Strange, Merle thought as he glanced back at the girl.

"I was on the bus and then I got off to help and she didn't see me."

"How do you know if she made it?" The girl asked, sounding unsure.

"I don't know. But Hershel, Maggie's father, was a great man. And he told me all I had to do was believe, and that's what I'm gonna do." Glenn looked ahead, his posture straightening and his confidence seeming to rise. "Neither one of us should be alive right now. She got out, so you're gonna help me find her."

"We're lookin' for others, too." Merle quickly cut in. "My brother, ___, others if we come across them."

"Yeah. Them, too." Glenn smiled a little, turning to look back at the girl so Merle wouldn't see. "Things aren't over. They're not over."

"I want to believe that. I want to." The girl said softly, though she still seemed tentative. The three heard a growl from the woods and looked over to see a walker shamble through and make its appearance. Merle and Glenn quickly slapped their reins, their horses bursting down the road.

"What's your name?!" Glenn asked over the rush of the wind.

"Tara!" The girl called back. The sun began to rise overhead as afternoon drew closer. Merle clutched the reins with his one hand. He hope he found a sign of his brother or the girl soon.

~Reader's P.O.V.~

You woke up in a foreign room in a foreign bed. Memories rushed to your mind and you remembered the night before. How Daryl drove off with you and Beth, and how he found a small house to stay at for the night. While you and Beth cleared out the house, he walked the perimeter, killing any walkers he ran into and keeping an eye out for other life.

You and Daryl made sure Beth got the master bed, while Daryl forced you into the guest bed. You weren't surprised when the younger Dixon constructed a nest out of blankets, coats and other soft materials he found around the house on the couch in the living room. It had to be better than the prison floor.

You had woken late, the two already up. Daryl sat at the window, his crossbow clutched in his hands. Beth paced the floors, looking like a nervous wreck. You weren't sure if that was better than her sobbing.

Despite being in two different rooms, you had heard her sobbing late into the night. No doubt about losing her father and being separated from her sister. You had almost cried, but you found yourself more empty than upset. You wouldn't cry until you knew what happened to the others. You just hoped you would come to know what happens, rather than never finding them, again.

Some cooked squirrel, courtesy of Daryl, was left on one of the plates found in the house. You picked up the plate, finding the meat still warm before picking it up and biting into it. It wasn't the first squirrel you'd received from Daryl, but you still weren't used to the chewiness of the meat. Though it did make you laugh whenever Merle scoffed at it.

"With all the squirrels that boy eats, I'd reckon he went nuts because of eatin' the dang things." Merle had joked, prodding the small slab of meat. "I'm more of an elk man myself. Wish there were more around."

You frowned, shaking the memory from mind. Thinking about him won't make you feel any better. You watched in mild interest as Beth stopped her pace and finally stepped over to Daryl.

"We should do something." Beth stated, though Daryl merely ignored her. The younger girl huffed and folded her arms. "We should do something. We aren't the only survivors. We can't be. Rick, Michonne, they could be out here."

"Beth, please, now isn't the time." You tried to reason. If you had learned anything with Merle, you couldn't push a Dixon while they're vulnerable. They were stubborn and quick-tempered, pushing them to do something they might not want to do was like tampering with a bomb.

"Now's not the time?! What time to find our family would be a better time?!" Beth exclaimed and you winced a little, rubbing your own arm.

"We don't all have family to look for, Beth." You countered, causing the girl to drop her expression. She didn't apologize, instead turning back to Daryl.

"Maggie and Glenn could have made it out of A block. They could've. You're a tracker." Beth reasoned as she stepped up to stand beside Daryl, she pointed out the window and out to the open road. "You can track. Come on. The sun is up and we have a whole day ahead of us. If we head out now, we can-"

Daryl turned and shot Beth a look. The coldness in his irises and the bags under his eyes saying a thousand more words than he could by talking. The young Greene girl frowned and backed up. She sent him a hurt look.

"Fine. If you won't track, I will." The girl walked over to the table, picking up her hunting knife and attaching it to her belt. She gave you a hollow glance, before making her way to the front of the house. You heard the creaking and slamming of a door as you looked back to Daryl. He gave a slight sigh as he rose to his feet. You stood up, too, giving him a sympathetic look.

"I'll go grab my stuff. Make sure she doesn't get too far. I'm not too good at tracking." You stepped around the table as Daryl gave a simple nod, moving forward. You stopped him by grabbing his arm, causing him to look down at you. "Hey, you know only a Dixon can kill a Dixon."

"I know." Daryl didn't smile, though you did see a slight spark in his eyes. But his voice became harder and colder with his next words. "He's not the one I'm worried about."

~

You stepped quietly with Daryl along the road, flinching whenever Beth made a loud movement that would definitely send danger your way. But you had to be patient, she was young and still inexperienced. Some birds screeched overhead and you looked up at the sky, wishing you could see where the sun was so you could determine what time it was. Daryl pushed his motorcycle along, you would all be riding it, but Beth was too busy "tracking". The younger girl stepped up to some tracks in the trees and pointed them out.

"Could be Luke's. Or Molly's. Whoever they are, it means they're alive." Beth grinned and you examined the steps yourself. They did belong to children, but you couldn't be sure who's they were.

"No. This means they were alive four or five hours ago." Daryl pointed out gruffly, still pushing the bike along.

"They're alive." Beth insisted.

"They picked up the pace right here." Daryl halted in his pushing and pointed out the scuffle in the tracks. "Got out in a hurry. Things went bad."

"If it was any if the kids, they couldn't defend themselves..." You frowned, your chest felt empty. You knew and looked after both Luke and Molly, it hurt knowing the two might just be gone.

"Wouldn't kill you both to have a little faith." Beth scoffed, stepping ahead.

"Yeah, faith. Faith ain't done shit for us. Sure as hell didn't do nothing for your father." Daryl snapped harshly. You saw Beth flinch and slowly a pit was being dug in your stomach. Daryl was never the harsh one, that was Merle. The younger Dixon must've been hurt to lash out like that.

"I have faith we'll find the others." You started. "Maybe not all of them, but we had some strong people with us. A couple walkers couldn't take them down."

The group fell into silence and you sighed, hating the heavy tension that was in the air. You glanced to Daryl who had been pushing the bike for thirty minutes now. You noticed the strain in his muscles and the tiredness in his eyes.

The man probably hadn't slept all night long, being on guard and the worries that clouded his mind. The bags under his eyes were heavy and you could tell he was emotionally pained at the moment. Being around Merle certainly helped you learn how to read the Dixons. You stepped closer to the younger Dixon and he glanced at your approach with skepticism.

"Want me to push the bike for a little bit? The last thing we need is our best one at range to have tired arms." You pointed out, nodding to his crossbow. He looked like he was about to argue, but he sighed, knowing it was no use. He slowed his walk and you went around the bike, taking it from his grip and beginning to push it ahead. The redneck stretched his arms, along with fingers as he moved to walk on the other side of the bike.

"Thanks." Daryl said softly and you smiled.

"Don't mention it." You hummed a little, when Beth gasped and stepped into the woods. She pointed out a more trails and your blood ran cold, seeing dry blood on the trunks of trees.

"Look! They must've fought off some of the walkers!" Beth exclaimed, but one glance with Daryl and you both knew it was far from the truth. Beth walked ahead, following the trail. "They'll be hungry when we find them."

You walked the motorcycle into the trees, being careful with it as you made your way over thick roots. Daryl sighed and held a hand up, halting you in your tracks. Beth looked back and her excitement faded.

"What?"

"That ain't walker blood. The trail keeps going. They fought them off." Daryl pointed out and you followed his hands. If you didn't feel cold enough, you became paralyzed at the sight. Leftover guts and bones were splayed over the ground, torn clothes were around the area. You noticed the small boot on the ground and recognized it as Luke's. "No. Got walker tracks all up and down here. At least a dozen of them."

A twig snaps and you spun your head around to see a walker approaching from behind. The creature snarled, but it didn't reach you as a bolt went straight through its head. More gasping and panting from walkers began to erupt in the forest. Daryl cursed as he hurried to you, Beth at his heels. He grabbed the bike and quickly made his way back to the road with the both of you.

"Come on." Daryl ordered as he climbed onto the bike. Beth got on behind him and you took the rear this time, glancing back as the dead began to stumble through the trees. Daryl got the bike to take off down the road and you held onto Beth as the engine roared. You felt Beth shake with her crying and you lowered your head, feeling that same pain on the inside. You knew those kids and now, you would never see them, again.

~Merle's P.O.V.~

Merle had a bad sense of judgement. Let's rephrase that, he had good judgement, he just had a horrible way of approaching it. So, maybe when he saw the army truck drive up, he shouldn't have gotten excited. He wasn't sure what he was excited about, maybe finding some valuable allies or a bunch of jerks he was gonna have to shoot in the head for the truck.

Nevertheless, the truck came to a stop, and Merle and Glenn halted their horses who shifted unsurely at the sight of the car. Merle's left hand lowered to his pistol at his side, when the truck popped open and a ginger stepped out. Merle almost laughed at the square, copper-head but decided to keep quiet, a smirk slipping onto his lips.

"Damn, was going out for a drive today. Didn't expect to see men on some stallions," The stranger whistled, smiling. He nodded to Tara. "Of course, you too, ma'am."

"Who the hell are you?" Tara snapped back, becoming defensive and Glenn glanced back at her with a warning.

"That's a damn big mouth you got. What else you got?" The man looked back to the horses. "Besides the stallions."

"Depends on what yah have in mind." Merle called back as the man looked to him. He caught sight of Merle's bayonet arm and his whole jaw dropped.

"Holy shit. That's gotta be the most badass thing I've ever seen." The man's smiled widened. "You, my friend, have made my day."

"I'm glad to entertain." Merle nodded his head in respect. "You military?"

"Was. Formerly a military sergeant." The man raised a brow. "You?"

"Former serviceman, never really got into any real action." Merle left out the fact he punched his superior and got kicked out. "Merle Dixon."

"Abraham Ford. You three want to join us?"

"Us?" Glenn piped up. As if to answer his question, the passenger door and one of the backs doors opened and two people stepped out. A scantily clad woman, too bad she's Hispanic, Merle thought to himself. And a chubby, awkward man, who didn't look like he could raise a gun.

"And these are my companions Rosita Espinosa and Dr. Eugene Porter." Abraham nodded to each of them.

"We're sort of busy." Glenn licked his lips, feeling nervous towards the strangers. Merle glanced at him, but didn't feel that tension. The main man in charge seemed honest, almost as bluntly honest as Merle himself. "Hey, did you three pass a bus? On the road, did you pass a bus?"

"Yeah." Abraham nodded.

"What did you see?" Glenn asked quickly, his hopes raising somewhat.

"They were all dead." Abraham shrugged and Glenn's expression fell.

"How long since you passed it?"

"About an hour ago." Abraham answered and without a word, Glenn ushered the horse forward and began making his way down the road. Merle's eyes widened and he glanced at Abraham. Merle didn't know what to say, but Merle made a gesture for the other man to wait as he rode up on Harley to Glenn.

"The hell are you doin'?!" Merle hissed as he brought his horse up to stop Blizzard in her tracks.

"I'm going to get Maggie. Now move, Merle." Glenn snapped back.

"Don't yah get it, chopsticks?! Those guys are offerin' us a ride, we'll get there faster with them and have a place for your girl to sit, rather than on these horses. It will be faster 'n make more sense!" Merle reasoned as Glenn glanced back unsurely.

"We don't even know those guys."

"Maybe we don't, but it's one tah one. They seem shifty, we put a bullet in their heads 'n move on." Merle glanced back and eyed the woman. "Not many bad groups have woman, especially healthy ones."

"And how will we know they'll help us?"

"Let's strike a deal with them. See what they want in return." Merle watched Glenn, as the Asian continued to hesitate. Merle sighed. "Look. We're not doin' this for us. We're doin' it to find our people."

"Fine." Glenn agreed reluctantly and they maneuvered the horses to walk back to the truck. Abraham seemed to be pleased at their return.

"You considering coming with us then?" Abraham asked.

"We need tah find some of our people, whether their dead or alive." Merle stepped up to talk, since he seemed to be in Abraham's good graces.

"We might not be able to help." Abraham frowned. "You see, we're on a mission of our own. This shit is time-sensitive and we're already way behind schedule. So we really need to be on the road. Now."

"Guess that settles that then." Merle bit the inside of his cheek as he patted Harley's side, having the horse turn back down the road. "Good luck on yer mission, sergeant."

Merle began to strode away on his horse, gaining a confused look from Glenn and Tara. He sent a look back, basically telling them to be patient. They heard a frustrated growl and Merle stopped his horse.

"It seems like none of you's been paying close enough attention to the hell on earth we've been living in. So let me tell you how to best avoid winding up just another dead-alive prick. You find some strong, like-minded comrades and you stay stuck together like wet on water. We need people." Abraham barked out at Merle. "The more the better. We need each other, partner. Even with that badass blade, a couple of horses and some firearms, you won't survive. Not by yourself."

"I was left on a roof, handcuffed tah a pole, alone. I cut off my own hand, cauterized it myself, and fought off biters durin' the heat of it." Merle glanced back with a heated glare. "I've been tah hell in back. Nothing's stoppin' me from findin' my brother."

"Then you might want to shut your mouth and start listening. Because believe it or not, the fate of the whole human race, including your brother, is depending on this mission." This caught Merle's attention, as he turned the horse to better face Abraham.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Glenn asked, sounding incredulous.

"I'm as confused as the Chinese Kid over there." Merle admitted.

"It's Korean."

"We're on a mission to get Eugene to Washington, DC. Eugene's a scientist and he knows exactly what caused this mess." Abraham nodded back to Eugene, who with a poker face nodded in acknowledgement. What a pushover.

"All right. So what happened?" Glenn asked.

"It's classified." Eugene quickly shot down the question, finally speaking up for once.

"He'd been talking to the muckety-mucks in Washington on his satellite phone. The past couple weeks, nobody's been picking up on the other end. We look and sound capable. We could use your help." Abraham straightened up, a smile coming back to his face as he nodded at Merle. "Everything you say true?"

"Every word." Merle nodded.

"You could be a valuable asset."

"Someone else told me that once." Merle scowled a little at the thought. "He was the last person I killed."

"Just tell us where the bus is. That's where my wife would go to find me. That's where she last saw me." Glenn asked, on the verge of begging. Merle was assessing the guy himself and he seemed dead stubborn, they'd need to sway his goal altogether to get him on their side.

"What happened to get you separated?" Abraham asked, now curious.

"We had a place down in the prison. It got invaded yesterday, people and walkers. Everyone scattered and I passed out. Same with him." Glenn nodded to Merle. "My wife must've left with someone and I wasn't on that bus that she tried to get me on. I need to find her and make sure she's okay. She went through a huge loss yesterday."

"And your brother was in that?" Abraham looked to Merle, who nodded.

"And... Some others." Merle didn't know what word to use for the girl. Friend sounded weird and family sounded even weirder. "We need to find them."

"There is zero chance you will ever find your wife, your brother, or anyone else again. Alive or dead. Mainly because, sorry to tell you, they're gone. No need for you to die, too." Abraham waved them over as he sat back in his car. "Now come on. Get in the truck. Do something with your life."

After Abraham finished, Merle tuned out everyone. His rage was too loud to hear anyone over as he dropped off of Harley. He stepped up to the vehicle hard and fast, and with a flash of movement he grabbed Abraham out of the car by the collar. He landed a fist on the bigger man's face, dropping him to the ground to throw out some more. The others moved to break up the fury.


	3. Means Nothing to You

Merle groaned, his head aching as he opened up his eyes. He was met with the night sky passing above him and he realized that he was in a vehicle. Merle hissed, having lied on his wound as he pushed himself up with his elbow. He was in the trunk of a truck and quickly identified it as Abraham's. Merle cursed, noticing the Asian kid sat across from him.

"You really like getting into fights. Huh, Merle?" Glenn wasn't smiling, though his words were obviously a joke.

"Keep laughin', chopsticks." Merle groaned, holding his head and felt around his eye. It was getting swollen and he knew he'd have a serious black eye in the morning. Merle glanced in through the back window of the car to see Tara sitting inside, talking with the others. "Shit. We ain't goin' with them to Washington, right?"

"You'll be relieved to hear that we won't be." Glenn sighed, glancing in, too. "Eugene, he spoke up for us. He said that they should help us find Maggie and then whoever else first, before moving on. He seems like a decent guy."

"He seems fishy tah me." Merle brought his knees up, leaning his elbows on them. Suddenly he notices the saddles sitting beside them with their weapons and panicked, glancing out at the road. "The horses!"

"We set them free, Merle." The redneck glanced at Glenn in shock, but the Asian lifted his hands in defense. "You said we'd release them when we found a decent ride anyway. We found a ride, so Tara helped me release them into the woods."

"Could've at least waited for me to give a decent goodbye to ol' Harley..." Merle mumbled, slumping back in disappointment.

"Sometimes we don't get to say goodbye before we lose someone we care about."

"You miss that ol' man?" Merle knew the answer, but it only seemed polite to ask upfront than assume.

"He was a good man. He didn't deserve to die like that. I wish I could've done something. I wish I could be with Maggie, so she wouldn't be hurting." Glenn sighed and leaned his head back against the wall of the trunk. Merle recalled when the girl's own father was shot down by the Governor. If he hadn't of been there, she would have opted out. Losing her father took a heavy toll on her and she needed someone to pick her up when she couldn't. Merle understood why Glenn was scared.

"I get ya."

"You do?"

"Ya don't want her to get herself hurt. Ya've already lost enough, ya don't want to lose her, too." Merle answered simply and Glenn seemed surprised.

"Yeah, exactly that. I'm so scared that if she doesn't find me... That she'll think it's not worth it." Glenn gripped his pants and closed his eyes. "But I hope she knows that there's still so much to live for, even if I'm not here."

"... We'll get you to yer girl, slot machine."

"Really?" Glenn's eyes widened at Merle's assurance. "But what if Abraham's right? What if she is gone? Or we just never find her?"

"Please, if I can find mah brother in the apocalypse, we can definitely find yer wife in it, too." Merle rolled his shoulders. "Can't say when or how, but we will."

"Thanks, Merle... It means a lot, hearing that from you." Glenn admitted, seeming to ease up. Merle grew uncomfortable at the vulnerability and tried to find a way to bring his walls up.

"Don't soften up just yet, chopsticks. This doesn't mean I like ya. But we're both lookin' for our people, so yer chances are a lot higher." Merle tried to scare off or anger the kid, but he only got a snort as Glenn looked away.

"Right, right. We hate each other. Almost forgot." Glenn smiled a little, as he glanced at Merle. "We'll get Daryl and ___, too."

"Shut the hell up."

~Reader's P.O.V.~

The bike had ran out of fuel when it had gotten dark. Unfortunately, it decided to run out near a herd of walkers. Daryl ushered you and Beth into the forest, hoping the cover of the trees could slow the herd behind you. The redneck pushed the bike into the woods, too, but finding a thick tree, he parked the bike against it before grabbing you both by the shoulders and rushing you on. You all knew you couldn't run forever, so when Daryl spotted a broken down car, he took his chances. The trunk was popped open and large, you could fit all your snow gear in there.

"Come on." Daryl opened up the trunk wider and gestured you both in. Beth slipped in without question and trusting the younger Dixon with your life, you slipped in as well. Daryl got in after you both and quietly brought the trunk hood down. It didn't click into place, so Daryl slipped his belt off and ran it through the openings, tying down the hood the best he could. It took a few minutes, but the growling of walkers filled the air as they began to make their way past the car.

Beth covered her face with her hands, visibly upset. Daryl remained stoic, keeping his gaze away from you both and to the slightly open crack of the car trunk. You just mostly felt exhausted.

You've been moving all day and had found no one. Daryl was even trying to find signs, but nothing. No Maggie, no Rick, no Merle. You hoped he was okay, for a long while you held onto the belief that he was okay, only a Dixon could kill a Dixon. But with no sign of him, you were starting to grow worried.

You saw tears glisten across Beth's pale face as she silently cried. You recalled the Beth you read about from the book with Merle, how she wouldn't allow herself to mourn her own son. How she kept all those emotions in. You frowned, seeing that the Beth you knew was like that. Doing her best to hide her true emotions, to keep an image, even though holding in emotions like that would only hurt you in the end.

Daryl might be the same way, except the only emotion he wouldn't show was sadness. He'd show anger as much as his brother, fear as much as anyone else, and happiness even if it was in small doses. But you'd never seen him cry, you've seen him close to it, but never there. And he would certainly be the last to express his own feelings.

But the younger Dixon had a big heart and when you saw him reach a hesitant arm over Beth's shoulders, you smiled a little. Beth rested her head on Daryl's shoulder as he comforted her, the same way he comforted you on the rooftop, though this time in silence. You leaned your head back and closed your eyes, hoping to be taken by sleep.

~

When light peeked through the hood of the trunk, the Walker herd was long gone. Daryl didn't get any sleep as he nudged you and Beth both awake. The Dixon was moving outside of the car, getting work done, and by the time you managed to pull yourself out of the trunk and into the light, he'd caught breakfast. Cooked on a wooden spit over a small fire, Daryl had caught a thick snake. He noticed your unsure expression and he scoffed.

"Don't hate it till ya try it. Tastes like chicken, just a bit tougher tah chew." Daryl assured you and he had proven to you that squirrel was okay, so... You got down beside the redneck as he began to cut off a cooked part of the snake for you. Beth got out of the trunk and scowled at the sight of the reptile. But she didn't argue as she sat down across the fire, receiving the next portion of snake. You pulled out the thin bones from the meat, before taking a hesitant bite.

"Wow..." You looked to Daryl in awe. "It's not bad."

"Told ya."

"It's a bit chewy..." Beth chewed, looking slightly disgusted but didn't stop. You all were starving at this point, having missed dinner the night before. You continued to eat, as you examined the Dixon next to you. He was beginning to sweat, obviously working hard out here while you rested. The bags under his eyes were the heaviest you've ever seen them and you felt guilty, he'd taken all this work onto his shoulders for you and Beth, when he could just leave you both in the dust.

"Thank you, Daryl. For all of this." You nudged him lightly in the arm and smiled. "But I call watch tonight and breakfast tomorrow morning."

"But-" He looked to you with wide eyes and a frown, but you quickly shut him down when you raised your hand.

"You can trust me, Daryl. I've been on the run before, too." You gave him a sincere look. "You need the sleep, brother."

"..." Daryl huffed, looking down to the snake meat in his hands. "Brother, huh? Yer startin' to sound like Merle."

You looked to Daryl in surprise. He was right, the only one who'd called Daryl "brother", was Merle. You felt yourself flush at the revelation and opened your mouth to apologize, when Beth finished her breakfast and glanced to Daryl sharply.

"I need a drink." Beth announced, causing you to lift a brow. What was up with her today? Daryl glanced at her bored, before picking up and offering one of the still filled water bottles he must have filled up back at the house the day before. Beth rolled her eyes. "No, I mean a real drink. As in alcohol. I've never had one. 'Cause of my dad."

You stiffened at how casual she presented it. Her dad had died less than two days ago, was she not hurt? You didn't talk about your dad much, but when you did it always seemed to hurt. It wasn't a casual conversation and that was four months ago.

"But he's not exactly around anymore, so... I thought we could go find some." Beth looked to Daryl, almost expectantly. But Daryl just snorted, returning to his breakfast. Beth sighed rising to her feet. "Okay. Well, enjoy your snake jerky. Jerk."

Beth unsheathed her hunting knife and began walking off. You looked to Daryl feeling déjà vu of the day before. He looked frustrated and tired, but he wasn't going to argue. He stood up and you followed, checking your picks were loose enough on your pants that you could slip them out. You and Daryl followed behind Beth as she confidently walked through the forest.

There was a low growling sound as a walker stepped into view. Beth held up her knife and pushed back against the biter as it approached, hesitating on stabbing it. It occurred to you that Beth hadn't killed many walkers on her own. Something whooshed past you and a bolt stuck through the walker's head. Daryl stepped forward, walking past Beth and bent down to retrieve the bolt.

The redneck stood up straight and gestured for Beth to follow him. The girl smiled and followed after him, as you took up the back of the group. With Daryl leading the way, you weren't sure where you were going, but you had a sneaking suspicion that Daryl wasn't letting Beth have her way. Especially when you noticed the curves you were making through the forest.

"I think we made it a way. I'm pretty sure we got to go that way to find the booze." Beth pointed ahead as twigs snapped under her feet, moving ahead of Daryl again. But the girl suddenly tripped, having run into a wire. Glancing at the transparent fishing line, you noticed the familiar Dixon trap for slowing down walkers. Beth must have noticed, too, as she huffed and turned to Daryl with a glare. "What the hell? You brought me back. I'm not staying in this suck-ass camp. Hey!"

"You had your fun." Daryl growled out as went over to the still burning flames of the fire you'd just left. He kicked some dirt onto it, bagging up his snake meat for later.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Do you feel anything?" Beth received no response and she became more frustrated, her voice becoming harsh. "Yeah, you think everything's screwed. I guess that's a feeling."

"Beth, what the heck?" You intervened, stepping between the two. "Daryl's been working hard for us and you just want to go get wasted? Do you have any gratitude?"

"Gratitude? What should I be grateful for? Sleeping in a car trunk? Eating snake?" Beth exclaimed, getting in your face now. You scowled back at her, feeling your own blood boil in anger. "Do you even hear yourself, ___?"

"Do you?" You gave her a wide concerned look. "Who's been feeding you? Finding you shelter? And killing walkers for you for the past two days?" You owe a lot to Daryl and you're treating him like crap."

"I can do that on my own! I'm not a kid anymore."

"___, back down." You looked back to Daryl who gave you a warning look. "This isn't yer fight. If she wants tah yell at me, let her. I don't want you gettin' involved."

You stared hard back at Daryl, but backed down. Stepping away from them both. Beth took this chance to step back up to Daryl.

"So you want to spend the rest of our lives staring into a fire and eating mud snakes? Screw that. We might as well do something." She glanced at you as she began to back up. "I can take care of myself and I'm gonna get a damn drink."

Beth whirled around and began to make her way back to the street. Daryl sighed, sagging his shoulders as you stepped up to him.

"Come on, I'll grab Merle's bike." You nodded ahead, before heading to the trees where Merle's bike was still leaning.

~

It had been a couple years since you've been on a golf course. You recalled a second cousin you had, who had won with her college team in her state's championship. She took you out to the prettiest courses, with the cleanest water and the bluest skies. And of course, to beautiful mountains that broke through the sky. She lived back west in the Rockies and seeing the golf course in front of you, you wondered if she was even alive right now.

Beth slowed her quick pace and smiled in relief at the sight of the golf club house. This golf course wasn't the fanciest, but it was secluded and open. The young Greene turned back to look at Daryl for confirmation.

"Golfers like to booze it up, right? Come on. Might be people inside." Beth made her way down the small rolling hill and in the direction of the clubhouse. You sighed and followed, Daryl at your side. There was a faint rumbling in the distance and by the look of the clouds and the feel of the air, it was going to rain today. Hopefully you would be inside somewhere safe by the time it happens. The door rattled a little as Beth clicked it open. "Come on."

You put up the kick-stand for Merle's bike, before joining the others. You all stepped into the darkened clubhouse and were greeted with furniture pushed against the walls, the room must have been the main lobby, a little camp set up in the center of the room. Several bodies hung from nooses over the camp and you all got the idea of the situation. The hanging walkers snarled at you three. There was a door behind the bodies that led into another room and your trio carefully made their way across the camp.

Beth inspected a little table that was set up, the original group's last tea party. Daryl picked up a leftover flashlight and flicked it on. You looked around, finding your own and turning it on. It's light flickered, signaling that the batteries were running low. The redneck found stacks of money on the ground and began to sweep them up into a bag. Beth looked over in confusion.

"Why are you keeping all that stuff?" She asked, but before Daryl could answer, a loud banging came from the door behind you. Biters. Daryl hefted up the bag, while you and Beth made your way over and out the room's rear door.

"Come on." Daryl made sure you were both through, before slamming the doors behind you both. The banging was muffled as your group found yourselves at the top of a cellar, Daryl aimed his flashlight down and began to make his way down the stairs.

The temperature dropped and you could hear the distant sound of water dripping, a busted pipe or a leaky faucet, maybe. Daryl glanced into a room that seemed to be a small kitchen while Beth made her way to a pantry ahead. You were deciding where to go when you met Daryl's eyes, he nodded in Beth's direction.

"Keep an eye on her." He said simply, moving deeper into the kitchen. The Dixon could handle himself, so you followed after Beth. You slipped out one of your ice picks, holding the flashlight in your other hand as you made your way down the pitch black hall. You heard some clinking of bottles and looked into the large pantry to see Beth reaching up to grab a wine bottle. You sighed and stepped out, when a growling reached your ears.

You swung your flashlight over and spotted a walker stumbling over. With a sharp swing of your pick, your blade pierced through the walkers head. You kicked the creature off as Beth stepped out of the pantry with wide eyes and a wine bottle in hand. You glanced at her, before shining your light further down the hall, checking for other walkers.

"Hope that alcohol is worth it." You grunted, stepping forward down the hall. Daryl stepped out of the kitchen in front of you and nodded, taking the lead and walking down the corridor.

You all turned a corner, finding some knocked over shelves. Daryl handed you his crossbow, after you strapped your pick back to your side. He got down and crawled under the shelves, before getting up and extending an arm. You handed over the crossbow, before getting down and crawling under the shelf yourself.

"___." Beth started as she got down and followed after you, while you got to your feet. She was careful with her wine bottle as she stood to her feet. "Do you have something against me?"

"Now doesn't seem the best time to be asking questions, Beth." You sighed, watching Daryl straighten a clock. The old grandfather clock chimed, before ticking away, again. Once Beth was back on her feet, you all stepped into what seemed to be the gift shop area of the clubhouse. Golf wear, clubs, golf balls, tees, every golfer's want was placed around the room. Daryl moved to the cash register as Beth stepped over to the clothes.

For once, you were thinking the same thing as Beth. You grabbed a backpack, trying to pick the dullest colors, though for some reason golfers had the most vibrant variety. You didn't want to stand out in the woods. You found a camo green bag and began to go through the clothes, trying to find some your size. You didn't know if you could stay dressed in the same clothes forever like Daryl and Merle could.

You frowned, picking up a navy blue shirt with a collar as you thought about Merle. You wish you were stuck with him. You loved Daryl, but he was so quiet and Beth was well... Beth. You unhooked the shirt from the hanger and stuffed the shirt in your bag. You began to pack away clothes, picking long sleeves and long pants for more protection.

"___." You jumped, finding Beth beside you. She looked insistently at you, as you stuffed away the long pants in your hands.

"What?" You asked.

"..." Beth sighed and shook her head. "If I made you mad, then just tell me. I don't see you treating Daryl as poorly as me."

"Beth, stay up all night protecting me, cook me three meals that you caught on your own, and treat me like a friend rather than a fellow survivor, then we'll talk." You brushed past Beth and made your way over to the jackets and gloves. All the jackets were thin, but you did your best to pick out a thicker jacket with a dull color. It was a light gray and you pulled it on with a pair of matching gloves, hopefully for more protection. You glanced at the shoes, but considering they were golf shoes, you decided to stick with the pair you had.

"Help me take her down." Beth more ordered Daryl than asked. You zipped up your back and looked over, seeing Beth trying to unhook a female corpse from a closet. There was a sign attached to the woman and you winced at the message, reminding you of your second cousin. She was rich, but she wasn't heartless. Daryl had lit a cigarette and was smoking it, as he looked to Beth.

"It don't matter. She's dead." Daryl said simply, puffing out a cloud of smoke with ease.

"It does matter." Beth insisted. Her expression was remorseful and you felt a pang of guilt for being harsh to the girl. Daryl stood and grabbed a thin blanket, unraveling it.

"Here." Daryl stepped over and carefully draped the blanket over the corpse, obscuring the dead woman. Beth gave him a thankful look, before Daryl made his way to another entrance to the gift shop. You both followed after him, you pulling up one of your ice picks. The clock chimed as you walked by, causing Beth to jump and glare at the object. Daryl snorted. "It's okay. C'mon."

The growl of walkers caused you all to freeze up and glance back. A couple were shambling over from the noise of the clock.

"Move." Daryl ushered you both down the hall. It forked off and down one hall more biters were coming. They growled and their pace sped up at the sight of your group. You three ran down the other hall, stepping into an open room, furniture pushed to the walls and a bag of clubs splayed over the ground. Daryl turned back raising his crossbow, as you grabbed an iron on the ground, not wanting to dull your picks further.

The walkers grunted as they stepped in, the first going down with a bolt to the head. You swung the iron forward, smashing in the head of the next biter. You recalled your cousins advice on swinging. Slowly draw back the club, but when you bring it down use all your core and force. You drew back the iron slowly and when the next Walker stepped in, you swung forward with all your might, knocking the head clean off.

Daryl took down the last two walkers with a swing of a wedge and the stab of a knife. The redneck panted slightly as he stepped back and you found your own heart racing from the fight. You dropped the iron and looked over at Beth, to find that she had smashed her wine bottle over one of the walker's head. She looked frustrated and you sighed as you brushed your hair back. The girl turned and entered the last room with you and Daryl following.

"We made it." Beth smiled, looking at the furnished but destroyed pub before turning back to look at you and Daryl. "I know you both think this is stupid. And it probably is. But I don't care. All I wanted to do today was lay down and cry, but we don't get to do that."

You frowned, recalling last night as Daryl stared hard back at the younger girl.

"So beat up on walkers if that makes you feel better. I need to do this." Beth turned and made her way over to where all the shattered glasses sat, making her way behind the bar to find anything that could still be good. You sighed and made your way over to a table, clearing off a seat that had glass and sitting down to rest your feet. You jumped at the sound of shattering glass and glanced back at Daryl to see him shattering a picture frame. It must have frightened Beth, too, since she spoke up with an exasperated voice. "Did you have to break the glass?"

"No." Daryl answered simply, as he rolled up the paper from the picture frame and shoved it into his bag. "You have your drink yet?"

"No. But I found this." Beth lifted up a bottle from the bar as she slid back around and took a seat. "Peach schnapps. Is it good?"

"No." Daryl answered simply, again, as he made his way over to a dart board that had caught his attention.

"If I would've known, Beth, I would've grabbed that Scarecrow wine I shared with Merle." You admitted, thinking about the alcohol that sat back in your cell at home. The prison. Daryl huffed at that, picking off some darts from the board.

"How you convinced Merle to drink wine, I will never know."

"He wanted me to try alcohol and decided to start with that." You scowled lightly. "I was not impress."

"Well, it's the only thing left." Beth sighed, examining the bottle. She glanced at the dirty cups around her and tugged the glass bottle closer. "Who needs a glass?"

The tension in the room thickened as Daryl began chucking the darts at the pictures of the founders of the place, rather than at the dartboard. You could see Beth trying to convince herself to drink the alcohol, but she was a weak force. You sighed, pulling up the pick you used earlier and doing your best to clean it off with one of the cloth napkins left behind in the place. The sound of darts thunking against the wall filled the room, but it didn't stop you from hearing Beth's soft crying. You looked over to see Daryl freeze up.

"..." You sighed and stood up, walking over to Beth. She looked up at you, quickly wiping away her tears. But you put an arm around her shoulder and leaned your head against hers. "Beth, it's alright to cry. I rather you do that, than act like you're all tough. I lost my dad, too, almost the same way. You shouldn't feel shameful about this."

"But crying makes you weak..." Beth choked on her words, lowering her head, but not pushing you away. Daryl made his way over and grabbed the bottle of alcohol, smashing it against a table. You both looked to him as he sent back a heated look.

"Ain't gonna have your first drink be no damned peach schnapps. Come on." He turned and grabbed his bag with crossbow, hefting them over his shoulder before making his way out the exit door. Beth inhaled with a shudder, but stood up, you releasing her. You stepped over and grabbed your bag as you stepped with Beth out the door to keep up with Daryl.

~Merle's P.O.V.~

"You're screwin' with me, right?" Merle glared slightly as Abraham kept his eyes on the road ahead. After taking a little pitstop to eat, piss, the works, the seating arrangements were changed. Merle found himself in the passenger's seat with the Chinese kid behind him. "We're doin' a what right now?"

"We're helping you, my friend, determining what this lady friend of yours is to you." Abraham answered simply, but this caused Merle to fume and glare back at Glenn.

"I'm gonna beat your ass in so hard after this, you won't be able to sit for weeks, chopsticks." Merle growled, before pointing to the other occupant in the back seat. "So, why's that broad here, too?!"

"I'm a lesbian." Tara called up from her seat in the back. "They said I could help figure this out."

"Yer a rug muncher? Shit." Merle slumped in his seat looking forward. "We're talkin' 'bout ___, right? I want to clarify."

"That's the one." Abraham chirped, grinning a little. "Glenn's told me you've known her for a while, but you just don't know what she is to you."

"She's... A friend?" Merle tried, but it still felt weird to say. Abraham gave him a raised eyebrow and Merle scoffed. "Look, I've known the girl for six almost seven months. Sure, we shared some rough experiences, but she's gotta be thirty years younger than me."

"Maybe you think of her as a little sister then." Tara suggested, but Merle winced at that term.

"No, no. That sounds so wrong..."

"Share some experiences with us, maybe we can decode it from there." Abraham threw out the idea, but Merle was quick to shoot it down.

"Nope! I'm not doin' this." Merle folded his arms, being careful of his knife.

"Merle, how about this, yes or no questions." Glenn began cautiously. "We can narrow it down from there."

"Fine. If it will amuse ya three." Merle huffed, bracing for the onslaught of questions.

"Okay, let's start off easy. Do you care about, ___?"

"Sure, she's one of the only ones I don't want tah see gone, along with my brother."

"Do you feel happy when she's happy?" Tara asked.

"Sure, I like seein' the girl happy." Merle shifted, beginning to feel uncomfortable. "I get pissed when I see her hurt."

"Do you want to eat her out?" Abraham asked bluntly, catching everyone off guard. Merle looked to the bigger man, astounded, before bursting into laughter. Merle slapped Abraham on the shoulder as he bent over from his laughing.

"Abe, we're gonna be damn good friends, I'm tellin' ya right now!" Merle managed to say through his chuckles.

"I'm taking that as a 'yes' to that question." Abraham stated smugly, his eyes glinting with mischief as he drove down the road.


	4. Wasting Away

"A motorcycle mechanic." Beth suddenly said, as the three of you stepped through the trees. You raised an eyebrow, while Daryl looked back in confusion. You all had been pretty quiet during this long walk through the forest. You were worried that pushing Merle's bike around would be a pain, but Daryl had managed to find a smoother path to your destination.

"Huh?" The Dixon questioned the Greene before turning to face ahead, again.

"That's my guess. For what you were doing before the turn. Did Zack ever guess that one?" Beth asked, as she made her way over a fallen tree. You stiffened at the mention of the dead boy you hardly knew. She was too casual about this.

"It don't matter. Hasn't mattered for a long time." Daryl answered, not looking back. You felt a pang of guilt. You knew the Dixons' past well enough and you knew it wasn't something they liked to think about. Merle mentioned feeling a horrible guilt when he realized his brother got just as much from his father that he did. You'd seen the thick scars on Merle's back, you couldn't imagine how bad they were on Daryl's.

"It's just what people talk about, you know, to feel normal." Beth went on, obviously not catching the tense vibe from Daryl.

"Yeah, well, that never felt normal to me." Daryl huffed out, before glancing to you. "If Merle was tellin' the truth about sharing our past, you probably know the answer."

"Maybe I do know the answer." You averted your gaze, feeling intimidated by the younger Dixon's cold stare. "But I don't care what you were in the past, Daryl. I care about you right now, same goes for Merle."

"..." Daryl didn't respond, but the tension eased up to your relief. You all stepped out of the wooded land to be greeted by a small shack. "Found this place with Michonne."

"I was expecting a liquor store." Beth admitted.

"No, this is better." Daryl's mouth quirked up a bit, before he made his way down to the house, quickly followed by Beth. You sighed, slowly following from behind, hoping this alcohol hunt would be over now. Daryl was rummaging in a small shed beside the house, filling a box full of glass jars filled with alcohol.

"What's that?" Beth asked. While they were busy focusing on the alcohol, you decided to park Merle's bike between the house and the shed. No one would find it unless they were looking.

"Moonshine. Come on." Daryl shoved the box into Beth's arms, before brushing past her and up to the house. Beth looked to you with wide eyes and the large amount of alcohol, but you shrugged before trailing after Daryl. He clicked open the old shack and stepped inside, quickly scanning the vicinity for walkers. Beth stepped in and look around at the mess of the house with you. It was small, the front living room was connected directly to the kitchen and dining room.

The place stunk, but most abandoned places did. Though it wasn't the usual dead smell, instead it was the smell of old cigarettes and gun powder. Judging from the buds littering the ground and the bullet holes in the walls, you were probably right on with those assumptions. Daryl closed the doors, so the dead couldn't get in as Beth set down the box of moonshine on the table. You cleared off a chair, taking a seat as you glanced to Daryl.

The redneck stepped over, opening a cupboard and pulling out a couple clean glasses. You saw how many he grabbed and hurriedly put up a hand.

"No, no! I'm not having any, Daryl. I'm not an alcohol person." You quickly shut it down. Beth huffed, sitting down across from you.

"You going to to be our chaperone?" She mockingly asked, but she rose an eyebrow.

"Haven't I been that for you this whole time?" Your comment caused Beth to glare at you slightly, before lowering her gaze. You wondered if you were that bad when you were a teen. Daryl pulled out a jar of moonshine and cracked it open, pouring a little of it into a cup before setting it down in front of Beth.

"All right. That's a real first drink right there." Daryl smiled as he pulled up his own chair to the table. Beth smiled and brought the glass to her, but she visually hesitated. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing. It's just... my dad always said bad moonshine can make you go blind." Beth admitted and you could definitely see Hershel warning that. It brought a little smile to your face, even if it hurt.

"Ain't nothing worth seeing out there anymore anyway." Daryl shrugged slightly and he certainly had a point. Beth shrugged and took a drink, her face scrunching up in revulsion as she set the glass back down.

"That's the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted." She admitted, laughing a little, before taking another sip. She mulled over this one. "Second round's better."

"Slow down." Daryl warned as Beth began to fill up one of the other cups with moonshine. She held it out to him.

"This one's for you." Beth offered. Daryl hesitated and looked to you. You snorted and straightened up.

"I'm not your mom, Daryl. I'll keep watch." You met his eyes and gave him a confident look. "And remember, I told you I was taking watch tonight."

"..." Daryl nodded slightly and took the offered glass. He took a gulp and looked back to you. "This is all I'll have. Last thing we need is a wasted Dixon."

"Could be Merle." You joked, smiling a little. "But thanks, Daryl."

Beth rolled her eyes as she took another sip. Daryl brought out the water bottles from the bag, sitting one in front of Beth.

"Drink lots of water. It'll help." Daryl ordered, rather than asked.

"Yes, Mr. Dixon." Beth remarked sarcastically, giggling a little at the annoyed look she got from Daryl. You leaned back in your chair, pulling out your pick to scrape off the rest of the dried blood. The young Greene glanced around the room, before getting up and stepping over to drag out something mildly disturbing. An ash tray, designed to look like a giant pink bra. "Who'd go into a store and walk out with this?"

"My dad, that's who." Daryl snorted as he gestured over to the toppled over television, glass strewn across the ground in front of it. "Oh, he was a dumbass. He'd set those up on top of the TV set, use them as target practice."

"He shot things inside your house?" Beth asked with wide eyes. You glanced at her, a bit peeved she didn't know more. Seriously, it took you less than a month to figure out that Merle was abused as a kid and she'd been with Daryl for much longer than you've been with either of them. Did she really not try to get to know either of the Dixons? Thinking back though, only the truly grateful and helpful did try, so that certainly left out Beth.

"It was just a bunch of junk anyway. That's how I knew what this place was. That shed out there, my dad had a place just like this." Daryl sighed as he looked around the room. He pointed out an extremely worn down chair and some old tin pots sitting next to it. "You got your dumpster chair. That's for sitting in, in your drawers all summer drinking. Got your fancy buckets. That's for spitting chaw in after your old lady tells you to stop smoking."

"How can you stand it?" You abruptly cut in, catching Beth off guard but Daryl didn't seem too surprised. You frowned, running you finger along the edge of your pick blade. "I'll be honest, I hate sitting here and seeing that... That this is what you and Merle had to live in for your whole lives until you could get away... The prison is starting to look good. So, how can you even sit here and... Look at all this?"

"... I can't... I hate lookin' at it. Brings back too much. But what can you do?" Daryl glanced along the walls, eyeing every bullet hole and stain. He sighed and brushed some hair out of his eyes. He noticed Beth's dropped attitude and offered her an empty smile, as he kicked up some newspaper. "You got your internet."

There was a low growl, the familiar sound of a walker. Daryl stood up a bit too quickly and walked over to the window of the small kitchen, glancing out. He shook his head and drew back.

"It's just one of 'em. Should we get it?" Daryl glanced back at you both. 

"If he keeps making too much noise, yeah." Beth answered and took another sip of the moonshine. At this rate, this little girl was gonna drop from the alcohol. "Well, if we're gonna be trapped again, we might as well make the best of it."

"Home, sweet home." Daryl murmured as he stepped back over to take his seat beside you. He took another gulp from his drink from earlier and you hoped to yourself that Daryl could handle his liquor. You really didn't want to deal with a drunk Daryl.

"Okay, I've got a game for us. But you guys can do it with just water, since you don't want to have any fun." Beth nodded to the water bottles, as you glanced up with narrow eyes. Daryl didn't seem to be in the mood to do anything else, so he just shrugged. Beth smiled and leaned her elbows on the counter. "So first I say something I've never done and if you have done it, you drink, and if you haven't, I drink. Then we switch."

"I've heard of this game." You admitted as you finished cleaning off your pick and slipped it back to your side. "Played something similar with my friends before all of this. Except I think we used candy back then."

"So, you do know how to have fun." Beth grinned a little as you rolled your eyes. She looked back to Daryl, who was watching in mild amusement. "You really don't know this game?"

"I never needed a game to get lit before." Daryl shrugged lightly, before glancing between you both. "Wait, are we starting?"

"Only if you're up to it, brother." You nudged Daryl's elbow, allowing yourself to loosen up for the sake of the game. Daryl pushed you back playfully, but straightened up in his seat.

"How do you know this game?" He glanced back at Beth.

"My friends played." Beth shifted in her seat and you could tell that the alcohol was already effecting her. The words she spoke began to meld together and she looked tired, lazy. "I watched. Okay, I'll start. I've never shot a crossbow. So now you drink."

"Ain't much of a game." Daryl gulped down the rest of his moonshine, setting the drink aside. You hadn't shot a crossbow before, so you just kept observing.

"That was a warm-up. Now you go." Beth nodded to Daryl, who shifted uncomfortably for being put on the spot.

"I don't know."

"Just say the first thing that pops into your head." Beth suggested.

"I've never been out of Georgia." Daryl finally thought up. He got you there and you opened up one of the water bottles, taking a drink.

"Really? Okay, good one." Beth took a drink of her moonshine, before looking to you. "Your turn."

"Alright, I have never... Hitchhiked." You admitted, the first thing coming to your head. The two others took a drink and your eyes widened at that. "Really? You guys have?"

"Merle wasn't exactly always there tah pick me up from school as a kid." Daryl shrugged lightly as he answered.

"Everyone around my old home was fairly trustworthy. So, it wasn't really scary. Helped me get to and fro from town." Beth smiled a little, before pursing her lips in thought. "I've never... been drunk and did something I regretted."

"I've done a lot of things..." Daryl took a drink, as you remained the same. You narrowed your eyes at Beth and wondered if she was purposely aiming these backward questions at Daryl on purpose.

"Your turn." Beth nodded to Daryl.

"I've never been on vacation." Daryl stated.

"What about camping?" Beth asked, as you picked up your water bottle and took another drink in answer to the question. You'd been on plenty of vacations.

"No, that was just something I had to learn, to hunt." Daryl pointed out, running his finger along the string of his crossbow. Beth took another sip from the moonshine.

"Your dad teach you?" Beth asked. Daryl hummed in confirmation and you felt a pang of remorse. One of Daryl's greatest skills and it was taught to him by a complete jerk.

"Let's see..." You licked your lips as you tried to think of another one. "I've never been in a talent show."

"Got me there." Beth took a sip of her moonshine, slamming the glass back down as her movements wavered. Daryl didn't lift his glass, not applying to your statement. Beth seemed to think for a moment, before directly looking at Daryl. "Okay. I've never... been in jail. I mean, as a prisoner."

"Is that what you think of me?" Daryl narrowed his eyes at the younger girl. Your blood ran cold at the obvious accusation and looked to Beth astounded.

"You're kidding, right?" You asked. You thought Beth was as bad as she could get today, but this was a new all-time low.

"I didn't mean anything serious. I just thought, you know, like the drunk tank. Even my dad got locked up for that back in the day." Beth quickly tried to defend herself.

"Drink up." Daryl nodded to her cup of moonshine and sat back, folding his arms. "It don't apply to either of us."

"Wait. Prison guard. Were you a prison guard before?" Beth quickly asked. You opened your mouth to say something, but the screeching of a chair halted your words. You looked over as Daryl stepped away from the table, turned abruptly, grabbed his bow, and made his way outside. "Daryl!"

"Shut it, bitch. I've had 'nough of ya today." Daryl called back, before stepping outside. The Walker sounds from earlier stopped, signaling that Daryl must have killed it. Your heart sank into the pit of your stomach as you stood up. Beth went to follow you, but you stopped her with a sharp look.

"Stay in here. Drink your booze. I'll go talk to him." You ordered her, before turning back and walking out the door after him. You stepped outside to find Daryl sitting on the porch steps, a freshly killed Walker a couple feet in front of him. The man was hunched over, his head hanging low and his arms leaning on his legs. You stepped down and sat beside him.

Daryl glanced over at you as you sat down, his face set in stone like always. But you saw the pain in his blue eyes, the remorse, and your frown deepened. You didn't want to force any affection onto the younger Dixon, so you opened your arms in invitation. The redneck stared at you for a moment, before giving a curt nod. You wrapped your arms around the bigger built man, leaning your head against his back.

"What am I gonna do about you, Daryl?" You rhetorically asked. Daryl didn't respond, instead leaning his head against your collarbone in silence.

~

About fifteen minutes passed with you sitting with Daryl, you running a hand through his long greasy hair. He was seriously going to need a haircut soon. You heard light creaks from inside the house and figured Beth was moving about. She was smart enough to stay inside. You sighed, finally gathering the strength to speak up, again.

"Is this gonna be a habit? One of us is gonna break down and the other will have to hold onto them and comfort them?" You hummed a little, as you heard Daryl snort a little as you brought your hand down from his head.

"I sure as hell hope not." Daryl shifted from underneath you and sat up straight, exhaling as he looked out to the land ahead. You straightened up yourself and watched the older man.

"So, isn't this the part where you vent to me?"

"Ya don't want that."

"It doesn't really matter what I want."

"..." Daryl glanced down at you before huffing and lowering his gaze to the ground. "I wasn't born with a silver spoon in mah mouth... Hell, I wasn't born with any spoon. I was just tossed into life and expected to survive on mah own. I was fortunate tah have Merle for the first bit of it to teach me."

"You can't understand relying on anyone." You affirmed.

"Damn right. The moment I could walk and talk, I was on mah own. Never relied on anyone fer protection or anything." Daryl shook his head. "I can't wrap mah head around the idea that someone could live their whole life protected."

"Beth is young. She never really got the chance to be on her own." You pointed out.

"Yeah, but she acts like all of this is fun. A big game." Daryl snapped his anger slowly returning. "This is real life 'n she just skips through it like its nothing."

"Maybe that's how she copes." You tried to reason.

"Then why drag us into her fantasy? Why treat us like shit 'n expect us to receive nothing in return?" Daryl brought up a hand and rubbed his eye. "She's a heartless, teenage bitch."

"Daryl..."

"Ya know it's true. I know ya got no patience fer her." Daryl shook his head. "I'm not sure how I manage it... She lost two boyfriends, siblings, her own goddamn father, 'n she doesn't even bat an eye. Instead she wants tah go on a booze hunt, like some dumbass college kid. She's gonna act like everyone isn't dead, but somethin' worse. That they never existed."

"Wha...?" You looked to Daryl with wide eyes as you caught his last words. Your heart about stopped, as fear began to set in. "Daryl... You think everyone's dead?"

"We've been trackin' since we've left the prison. It's been days 'n we've gone a far distance with no sign." Daryl looked to you seriously. "Do you honestly think any of 'em are alive?"

"You can't be serious... Daryl, everyone can't be dead!" You rose to your feet, a sick feeling in your stomach. One of the best trackers and straight minded people you'd met during this apocalypse believed everyone else was dead. That didn't sit well with you and it scared you to think he might be right. "Michonne, Glenn, most of them could survive out here. What about Carol?"

"Don't ya dare bring her into this."

"What about your own brother, Daryl?! Do you think Merle's dead? You both said only a Dixon could kill a Dixon." You pointed out.

"And he probably got himself killed durin' the fight at the prison!" Daryl argued back, his voice rising as he turned on you. "Ya saw him last! He was bleedin' out! Incoherent! He probably bled out 'n died!"

"That man could've died when he lost his hand or when he broke his ribs! A couple burn wounds aren't going to take Merle down!" You held your arms and backed up, rubbing your chilled skin. He couldn't be right, he couldn't be. "I won't believe you... Not about this... Merle's out there, probably with others, looking for you."

"... Why do ya even care, ___?" Daryl suddenly asked with a huff and a shake of his head. "The guy was an ass. No one's gonna miss him."

"I miss him." You quickly stated, meeting Daryl's hard stare back with full force. "I wish he was here right now, saying something stupid. Or I wish he was getting on my case about me not drinking some alcohol or about how I lost my touch in hunting. I wish we were sitting around, reading a book and talking about how stupid the characters could be. I just wish he was here..."

"How can ya be so sure he's alive?"

"I'm not... But I know Merle, he could've lost another hand, all weapons and vehicles, and he'd still come looking for you." You bit your lip and looked to the ground. "He wouldn't let things end with you being separated."

"I just can't wrap my head around you actually carin'. He didn't treat ya good. Maybe he treated ya better than others, but it still wasn't good." Daryl sighed and dropped his head. You hesitated, your mind flickering to the night that Daryl found you alone outside. You could tell him and if he was right... If Merle was gone... It might be worth telling someone.

"He was kind to me in private, more than you could probably imagine..." You braced yourself against the wood railing of the steps and looked down at Daryl, trying to gather the courage to admit the truth. "Daryl... You remember that night you found me alone, right?"

"It's wasn't long ago..."

"You know that... You know that jerk I was telling you about? The one I was going to confess to that night? I got dolled up and everything?" You kept asking, probably stalling at this point.

"Get on with it, girl."

"There was a reason I couldn't tell you who it was. I knew you wouldn't beat him up if I told you who it was." You played with your fingers as you met Daryl's blue eyes with a weak gaze back. Daryl was in deep thought now, confusion was etched across his face as he began to piece the puzzle together. But when it hit, it hit hard. The redneck's eyes widened more than you had ever seen them and he choked a gasp back.

"Yer shittin' me, right?" Daryl asked, he clearly thought this was a trick.

"Come on, Daryl. I wouldn't joke about this."

"He could be yer father with his age! Ya realize that?!"

"Of course I realized that and I tried to dismiss the feelings, but... He trusts me and has opened up to me. I've opened up slightly to him, too. He's been with me through some of my hardest times and when I wanted to opt out he held onto me. He didn't have to, he could've taken all my supplies and survived better with one less mouth to feed." You ran a hand through the back of your hair as you tried to explain your feelings. "He's the first to make me laugh since I've lost my mom and I love seeing him happy. I get pissed off when others get on his case and... I don't care if he wants to be with me or someone else, I just want him to be okay. I just want him here..."

"... Ya really like that ugly mug? Yer not just pullin' my leg?" Daryl looked up at you, his expression unsure.

"Doesn't it make sense? Why I couldn't tell you? Or him? Merle's my best friend, if anyone knew who I liked, it'd be him, unless it was him." You paused with uncertainty as you thought about the events that occurred that night, too. "The reason he doesn't know about my feelings, is because I wasn't able to confess. When I found him, he was having sex with Emma."

"Shit..." Daryl cursed as he recalled his brother's loosened up face the day after he found you on the roof. You sighed, happy to have that off your shoulders but now a little uncomfortable that someone like Daryl knew that private information.

"Maybe you're right, Daryl. Maybe he is gone... But I hope he went down fighting... And I hope he's somewhere better now." You turned to look at the forest, but you did hear the creaking of the porch and the heavy footsteps that made their way to you. They stopped behind you and you didn't look back, feeling tears begin to build in your eyes.

"He cared about ya, ya know?"

"I know." You choked on your words slightly as you lowered your head. Gosh, Merle couldn't be gone. You just couldn't believe that. You refused to.

"I don't know if that son of a bitch is alive... But if he is, he's lookin' for us both. Not just me." You looked back to Daryl at that, a little surprised at the statement.

"You... You think he'd look for me?"

"Can't say he loved ya, I don't think he's loved anyone... But he'd want ya alive. He enjoys yer company more than most others." Daryl's eyes flicked over your form, though they were softer now. "He'll be as happy as hell tah find us both together."

"..." You sniffed a little, giving a small, sad smile. "You say that as if he's alive."

"I don't know if he is, but if someone can have the capacity tah love that bastard, anything is possible at this point." Daryl's mouth quirked up a little, as he reached up a hand and ruffled it through your hair. "So, stop cryin'. He'd be pissed if he saw ya like this. Sobbin' over his sorry ass."

"I'd just put the blame on you." You teased a little, beginning to ease up as you brushed away your tears. Daryl snorted and pushed you lightly, causing you to stumble back with a laugh.

"Damn, he's rubbed off on ya." Daryl rubbed the back of his neck, before nodding back to the house. "Come on, sister. Better check on Greene."

You flushed considerably at the nickname and Daryl smirked, stepping up the porch and slipping back into the shack. You were completely caught off guard from the name, but you knew you deserved it. You had been calling him, "brother," it was only a matter of time before he pushed back. You smiled a real smile, though it was small, and stepped up the porch and clicked open the door.

~Merle's P.O.V.~

Once the sun began to set, Abraham had decided to park the truck in an area with some coverage from the trees. No on would see the truck, unless they were trying to see it. The former sergeant and Eugene began to spread out mats and padding along the bed of the truck.

"Men sleep in the trunk, women sleep in the car." Eugene had explained simply with his robot-toned voice. "It's always been that way."

"Keeps the women safe and keeps us on the edge of our feet, in case things go sour." Abraham smirked as he began to lay down blankets.

So, now Merle lied against one of the ends of the truck, up against the body, rather than the end that could click open. He lied on his back, looking up at the sky and watched as the yellows and oranges began to fade into the deep red of the setting sun. The Asian lied beside him, also on his back and doing his best to try and get some sleep. Neither were having luck.

Glenn was still worried sick for Maggie and sleeping wasn't on his agenda. Merle had another problem on his hands entirely. For a whole hour he was interrogated about his relationship with ___ and after much discussion an answer was reached.

"She did that all for you?" Tara had asked, incredulous.

"Yeah, so what?" Merle barked back.

"Look, man. You're not the most pleasant guy to be around. The fact she tried to break through your shell should've been a big sign enough." Tara's smile began to widen. "Take it or leave it, but this girl of yours loves you."

"Bullshit, how would ya know?"

"I'm a girl, dumbass. If I wanted a guy to like me and he had a thick shell the best I can do is slowly chip away at it. Sounds like what she was doing." Tara folded her arms in thought. "You, on the other hand... I don't think you love her like that. I think you care about her a lot, but not romantically."

"I could've told ya that."

"You showed her your dong though. Bold. I can respect that. She complimented it, too, she's probably pining for it right now." Abraham sounded impressed as he glanced at Merle. "Damn, yer lucky. You got a young girl wanting ya."

"She's a virgin, I doubt that's the first thing she'd be thinkin'."

"God, I've heard too much today..." Glenn had rubbed his face in exasperation.

"Keyword: Young. I'm no pedo." Merle quickly argued.

"She ain't got Daddy around to stop ya and she clearly wants to be with you. I don't see anything wrong with it, if you both have mutual feelings." Abraham sent a warning look to the redneck. "So, you better make sure you like that girl, I won't tolerate you playing with her feelings."

"That's the last thing I'd do." Merle sighed lightly, leaning back against his seat. "I think y'all are crazy, but I guess I'll let you determine if your theories are right when we find the girl."

Now Merle was lying in the truck, thinking about what they said. How sure they sounded and wondered if maybe what they said was true. Did the girl love him? Merle's thoughts drifted to when Daryl told him about finding the girl on the roof. The redneck clenched his fists.

It couldn't be him, she had dolled up for another boy who had broken her heart. One that Merle helped her heal from. Or at least, he thinks he helped her heal.

She couldn't love him. Not when she loved someone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for all those who liked when Daryl spoke with Beth better, but I thought for the sake of this story, it would make more sense for the Reader to comfort and speak with Daryl. It did reveal some heavy stuff between the two.


	5. Breaking

The sun had dropped behind the trees a long time ago, the surface above was a dark black and stars began to glitter up in the sky. The three of you now sat on the porch, watching the lights above. After Beth had sobered up a little, she gave an apology to Daryl who brushed off the occasion. You weren't so forgiving and you would be keeping an eye on the girl, but you hoped she would get better.

"I get why my dad stopped drinking." Beth finally spoke up.

"You feel sick?" Daryl asked, slight concern laced around his voice.

"Nope. I wish I could feel like this all the time." Beth smiled a little, glancing over at the man. "That's bad."

"You're lucky you're a happy drunk." Daryl hummed a little, as he leaned his back against the wall of the house.

"Yeah, I'm lucky." Beth eased up and leaned back on her hands, looking back up at the sky. "Some people can be real jerks when they drink."

"Yeah, I'm a dick when I'm drunk. Merle had this dealer. This janky little white guy. A tweaker." Daryl fell into thought as began to share one of his past stories. Daryl never really shared his past, even less so than Merle. But hearing his brother in the story, you perked up and listened closely. "One day we were over at his house watching TV. Wasn't even noon yet and we were all wasted. Merle was high. We were watching this show and Merle was talking all this dumb stuff about it."

You huffed. It certainly sounded like Merle. Getting high, sitting around and talking about nonsense. You had fortunately never seen him high, but he admitted that he was a user at one point. Not an addict, but he was no stranger.

"And he wouldn't let up. Merle never could. Turns out it was the tweaker's kids' favorite show. And he never sees his kids, so he felt guilty about it or something." Daryl frowned as he slipped out a cigarette with his lighter. You weren't surprised to see the younger Dixon had kept ahold of his smokes and lighter, compared to Merle, Daryl was a chimney. "So he punches Merle in the face. So I started hitting the tweaker, like, hard. As hard as I can. Then he pulls a gun, sticks it right here."

With his left hand, Daryl formed a finger gun and placed it against his head to emphasize the story. You rubbed your arms, goosebumps beginning to form. The night was getting cold, but you were more uncomfortable hearing that these were the people the Dixons spent time with. 

"He says, "I'm gonna kill you, bitch." So Merle pulls his gun on him. Everyone's yelling. I'm yelling." Dixon let out an empty laugh, sounding incredulous. You were, too. How much a small problem can escalate with drugs. Daryl lowered his head, sticking his cigarette in his mouth. The bud glowed red and was the only light besides the stars in the sky. "I thought I was dead. Over a dumb cartoon about a talking dog."

"I guess that answers why you hate drugs and Merle loves them." You spoke up and Daryl glanced at you. "You try to stay focus and on the ground. He tried to escape and forget about everything."

"How'd you get out of it?" Beth asked

"The tweaker punched me in the gut. I puked. They both started laughing and forgot all about it. You want to know what I was before all this?" Daryl removed the cigarette and sat up straight, sending you and Beth both sharp looks. "I was just drifting around with Merle... doing whatever he said we were gonna be doing that day. I was nobody. Nothing. Some redneck asshole and an even bigger asshole for a brother."

"You miss him, don't you?" Beth softly asked, obviously trying to be careful with her words. Of all times, she decides now to be careful.

"Can't miss someone who ain't gone." Daryl glanced at you, the side of his mouth quirking up a little. "That son of a bitch is too stubborn. We'll be seein' him, again."

"Maggie's stubborn, too. I miss her... I miss her bossing me around." Beth laughed a little, but it was an empty and cold laugh. "I miss my big brother Shawn. He was so annoying and overprotective."

"I wish I could've met him." You looked to Beth with a sincere look. "Maggie told me about him... He would've liked Glenn."

"Yeah, he would've..." Beth sighed lightly, though she snorted a little. "And my dad... I thought-I hoped he'd just live the rest of his life in peace, you know? I thought Maggie and Glenn would have a baby. And he'd get to be a grandpa."

"He would've been the best grandpa."

"He always wanted to be. We'd have birthdays and holidays and summer picnics. And he'd get really old. And it'd happen, but it'd be quiet." Beth laughed, again, this one forced and hard. She brought up her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs. "It'd be okay. He'd be surrounded by people he loved."

You didn't know what to say. She was right. Right about all of that. Hershel didn't deserve to die. Neither did your parents.

No one deserved to die, but that's how life was now.

"That's how unbelievably stupid I am. That's how it was supposed to be. I wish I could just... change." Beth pressed her head against her legs, unmoving.

"You did." Daryl quietly announced, though his voice was still rough.

"Not enough. Not like you. It's like you were made for how things are now." Beth lifted her head and gave Daryl a genuine look.

"I'm just used to it, things being ugly. Growing up in a place like this." Daryl nodded back at the crumbling house.

"For someone who went through this." You pointed at the home. "You turned out good, Daryl. Maybe even better than you think."

"You got away from this." Beth added.

"I didn't." Daryl brought his cigarette up, taking a quick puff.

"You did." Beth said more firmly.

"Maybe you both got to keep on reminding me sometimes." Daryl sarcastically remarked, though he was beginning to smile.

"No. You need to do that all on your own." Beth chirped.

"I'll be gone someday." Daryl's tone and words darkened the aura around you three. A world without Daryl Dixon, you couldn't think of one. Imagine one.

"Stop."

"I can't see it, Daryl." You shrugged, beginning to smile yourself.

"I will." Daryl's words cut through the air and you knew he was serious. He knew-thought he was going to die.

"You're gonna be the last man standing. You are. You're gonna miss me so bad when I'm gone, Daryl Dixon." Beth punched Daryl lightly in the arm, though her words shocked you, too. It had been a long time since you accepted that you just might die soon, but you didn't say it out loud. You didn't talk about it in normal conversation.

"You ain't a happy drunk at all."

"Yeah, I'm happy. I'm just not blind. You got to stay who you are, not who you were. Places like this, you have to put it away." Beth glanced back at the home. You did, too, imagining Daryl growing up in a place like this. Imagining Merle grow up in a place like this. It made you think of one late night with Merle.

"That one ya saw on my neck. It was a pain in the ass tah hide at school." Merle scoffed a little, as he sat on the edge of your bed and messed with the straps to his bayonet. "Mah old man was drunk and got pissed off when he saw Ma wasn't home. Usually he'd beat me up on nights like that, but he got real mad this night. He smashed a bottle 'n grabbed me by the shirt. Bastard tore it off 'n cut me down the back."

You could see a younger Merle inside this house, getting brought down by a man. A man who didn't need a face. One who didn't deserve a face. You could see Merle leaning against the wall, fighting back tears as his father screamed at him. You could see the blood running down his back, the glass scattered at his feet.

"Stopped once he got bored. Gave me time to get in mah room, locked the door, and pushed our dresser in front of it. Shared the room with Daryl. The kid was scared shitless seein' me and hearin' the screamin'." Merle gave a rueful smirk. "Pulled out glass and dirtied up an old shirt with mah blood. Wasn't able tah bandage the cuts, couldn't disinfect it. Just left them open and slept on my stomach fer the next couple nights."

You could see Merle shoving the bed in front of the door, as a young Daryl watched with wide, scared eyes. You could see Merle, avoiding his younger brother's gaze, picking the leftover glass from his own wounds carefully and grabbing a torn up shirt to wipe away the blood. You could see him lying on his bed, not getting any sleep. Couldn't close his eyes from the pain and the memories.

"Killed me pullin' a shirt on them and going to school, had to stick my collar up on my jacket like a jackass to hide the one on the neck. The kids probably knew, but I was convinced they didn't know shit." Merle sighed, his smirk dropping. "They couldn't know how it felt though. Tah feel like absolute shit and tah accept it."

You could see Merle stepping into school and stalking past others. They would stare, point, and whisper among each other. He would scowl and storm down the halls, acting like he didn't cared. But on the inside, the knives twisted.

"What if you can't?" Daryl's words broke you from your thoughts. You found yourself silently crying and you quickly wiped away the tears. "What if you can't forget?"

"You have to. Or it kills you." Beth spoke softly. Daryl stared at her for a moment, before pushing himself up onto his feet.

"Here. We should go inside." Daryl went to grab the door handle.

"We should burn it down." Beth announced, causing you and Daryl to look at her with wide eyes. After a pause of silence, Daryl laughed a little.

"Maybe not right now, last thing we need is tah attract a herd of walkers. But first thing in the mornin'... It's not a bad idea." Daryl glanced to you. "Ya want to help?"

You looked back to the house. A place like the Dixon's home. You imagine what Merle would say if he were here right now.

"Shithole should burn." Merle would take a long drag on his cigarette, letting the smoke thread through his teeth. "Nothing left in it anyway."

"Let's burn it." You confirmed, looking back to Daryl. "In the morning."

The redneck nodded, a small smile beginning to grow on his lips.

"Yer watchin' tonight." Daryl reminded. You smiled and lied back on the porch, turning your head to look back at the stars.

"You better believe it."

~Merle's P.O.V.~

"Shit!" Merle sat up quickly, sweat dripping down his back as he broke away from his dream. The others looked at him in confusion as they sat, eating breakfast.

"About time you woke up. Had a bad dream?" Glenn asked, taking a bite of jerky that was offered to him.

"Yeah, ya could call it bad..." It wasn't scary bad. The memory of the dream was already fleeting, but Merle remembered the more bold parts of it.

Finding a girl lying on his bed in his cell, nothing on her aside from some navy blue silk that was draped over her body. The strange woman had persuaded him over and he didn't hesitate to get on top of her, pulling away the silk. He couldn't recall what her body looked like, but she felt good. Really good. He was in bliss, until he finally decided to look at the face of the woman.

It was the girl.

Merle woke up quick after that, sweaty and parts of him were more active than usual. The redneck cursed as he pulled up the blanket further and glanced at the others. Of course he'd have a dream like that. He'd never think about her before going to sleep, again. Merle licked his dry lips.

"Didn't miss anything, did I?" Merle asked as he calmed himself down.

"Killed some Dead Ones, but nothing exciting outside of that." Abraham answered with a mouth full of food, before waving Merle down. "Come join us, soldier. You need to fuel up for the long day ahead."

"Alright..." Merle rolled his aching shoulders, ignoring the sting from his lower back. He had more pressing matters to focus on than a girl who could be dead. Like finding her and his brother.

~Reader's P.O.V.~

"Are we close?" Beth asked as the three of you quietly stepped through the woods. She held Daryl's crossbow tightly in her hands, the redneck in question keeping close behind her. After some apologizing in the early morning and some big, pleading eyes, Beth had convinced Daryl to teach her how to use the crossbow. Considering you were there, armed with your picks and your father's rifle, Daryl felt better about lending his weapon to the younger girl. He was also teaching the Greene girl how to track, something they were working on now.

"Almost done." Daryl answered, as he watched how Beth positioned her arms, correcting her every now and then. The morning had went well enough. After burning down a house, you three had set off to try and find any sign of the others. You decided this was best done by finding places they could stay for survival.

"How do you know?" Beth asked, glancing back at Daryl. You did argue with Daryl over who got to push Merle's bike and after much deliberation (and stubbornness), Daryl won out. But you didn't feel too burdened, you were the one on guard for the group, since Beth was just learning.

"The signs are all there." Daryl motioned one of his hands to the trail ahead, his gaze dropping down to the tracks you had been following for a couple minutes now. "Just got to know how to read 'em."

"What are we tracking?"

"You tell me. You're the one who wanted to learn." Daryl gruffly announced, rolling his shoulders as he bent over the bike.

"Well, something came through here. The pattern is all zig-zaggy." Beth paused as she studied the tracks, before smiling a little. "It's a walker."

"Maybe it's a drunk." Daryl huffed.

"We may have a lead on your brother." You joked, receiving a light push from Daryl.

"I'm getting good at this. Pretty soon I won't need you at all." Beth teased Daryl, before moving ahead.

"Yeah, keep on trackin'." Daryl rolled his eyes. "Damn, remind me not tah get lost with a couple of girls ever, again."

Everyone fell silent when the sound of snarling pierced the air. You all ducked down as Beth moved ahead, holding up the crossbow. You peeked through the brush with Daryl to see a walker on the ground, kneeling over what looked to be an animal carcass. Fortunately, the Walker was no one you knew.

"It's got a gun." Beth pointed out and you could see the weapon sticking out of the walker's pants. The teen stood up and quietly stepped forward, towards the biter. Something made a snapping noise and Beth gasped, collapsing to the ground, her hands moving to her foot. Hearing the commotion the Walker rose and turned around with a snarl. Beth still raised the crossbow and fired, but only stuck the Walker through the chest.

The redneck kicked down the stand for the bike, as he watch the situation unfold. You and Daryl moved forward, Daryl dropping down beside Beth to examine her foot and you charging the Walker straight on. With a quick swing of your ice pick, you struck the Walker straight through the head, killing it instantly. You kicked off the creature and looked over to see Daryl unlatch a trap that had caught Beth's foot.

"Can you move it?" Daryl asked, doing his best to check for wounds but not wanting to cause anymore pain.

"Yeah." Beth proved her answer by flexing her foot a little, but you both didn't like how she gritted her teeth while doing it.

"Let's find a place to bunker down tonight. See if we can fix your foot up." You suggested and Daryl nodded, helping Beth to her feet.

~Merle's P.O.V.~

"So, Rosita." Merle exaggerated the pronunciation of the girl's name, causing her to narrow her eyes at him. "Despite bein' Abraham's sex-buddy-"

"Girlfriend." Rosita corrected.

"Whatever." Merle rolled his eyes as he leaned his elbow on the seat's headrest. "You seem like you're capable. You know what you're doin'. What were ya before all this? I doubt ya learned all of this from just the apocalypse."

"I was a soldier for a brief period of time." Rosita admitted, focusing her gaze ahead to the road. "But I worked as an engineer for vehicles. Fixed up this truck you're riding in now, hick."

"Now, that ain't a way to speak to your guest." Merle mocked, as his smirked curled up a bit cruelly.

"Don't play stupid. I see the way you look at me and the way you talk to me. You're a racist asshole, but you're useful." Rosita glanced at him, an amused smile pulling at her lips. "So, if you keep this view of me up, I'll keep mine up, too."

"Sounds fair." Merle shrugged lightly, but his smirked remained. "I like ya though. Can stand yer own ground and yer easy on the eyes. I'll give ya a pass, chica."

"I'm flattered." Rosita sarcastically retorted, but she smiled a little more and relaxed in her seat.

"Finding that bus was a total... Well, bust." Glenn sighed as he looked over the map of the county in his hands. "We waited out all morning there and there wasn't even a sign of her."

"Looked for tracks though. Dixon certainly noted that some humans were there and put down all the dead ones." Abraham noted.

"Yer welcome." Merle smirked as Glenn shot a glance back at him.

"But where else could she go? Do you three know of any sanctuaries? Shelters? Communities of any kind?" Glenn asked with some hope.

"We've been on the move for the most part." Eugene started. "Haven't had time to visit the locals."

"Yer wife know any places she could stay low and safe?" Merle asked, trying to think of some places she might go. A certain community struck his mind and his blood ran cold. "You did tell yer wife about that Terminus place, right?"

"I never got around to it, why?"

"Shit, man! What if she went their way?!" Merle growled, leaning forward. "Ya heard what ___ told me. Those freaks advertise their place. Lure people in and then cook them up fer breakfast. Because of yer dumbass decision, your wife could be served with some fine wine tonight."

~Reader's P.O.V.~

"Can we-can we hold up a sec?" Beth hissed a little, as Daryl halted his walk with her. The teen had been supported by Daryl the whole walk through the forest. Now stepping into an open area, you could see her strain from the walk as she pushed off Daryl to catch a break. To be fair, Daryl was rushing her, which could've winded her with his speed. You kept up fairly easy though, despite pushing a heavy bike through the forest.

"You all right?" Daryl asked, looking to Beth's foot in concern.

"I just need to sit down." Beth sighed and eased some weight off her foot.

"Luckily, we don't have much farther to go." You pointed ahead, leaning the bike against your side. Past a small cemetery, sat an old funeral home.

"All right. Hold up." Daryl exhaled slightly, as he shifted his crossbow to rest across his chest. He turned so his back was facing Beth and bent down a little. "Hop on."

"Are you serious?" Beth scoffed a little, not taking the redneck seriously.

"Yeah. This is a serious piggyback. Jump up." Daryl urged. Beth held back a giggle, before carefully getting onto Daryl's back. He heft her up with a huff and held her beneath her legs. "You're heavier than you look."

"You're such a flatterer, Dixon." You smiled and moved ahead, as Daryl followed from behind.

"Maybe there are people there." Beth pointed ahead to the old funeral home.

"Yeah, if there are, I'll handle them." Daryl assured, though this didn't seem to be the answer that Beth wanted.

"There are still good people, Daryl." She reminded.

"I don't think the good ones survive." Daryl grumbled back.

"Doesn't explain why you're here, brother." You nudged the redneck, who sent you an unamused look. Beth suddenly slid down Daryl's back, causing you both to halt and look back at her. She stepped over to a grave, a frown growing in her face. A quick read of the gravestone answered your curiosity.

Daryl bent down and plucked some flowers growing from the ground. He stepped over and placed the flowers on the stone. Beth sniffed before reaching out and taking Daryl's hand. He didn't pull away, not wanting to be rude.

You felt you were intruding on... Something, until Beth lifted a hand to you, too. You hesitated, before stepping over and taking her hand. The bike leaned on your other side and you hoped that maybe soon you could find some fuel to fill it up. You looked back to the gravestone and with some remembrance of your own, tears began to prick your eyes. A beloved father.

~Merle's P.O.V.~

"Kindly shut the hell up, you both." Abraham broke through the arguing that had risen between Merle and Glenn. Merle huffed, his face red from his growing anger but he didn't argue as he sat back, continuing to glare at Glenn. The poor Korean sighed and looked back to Abraham with an apologetic expression. Abraham glanced between the two, before looking back to the road. "Now, what the hell are you both talking about?"

"Have you heard of a place called Terminus? They have road maps displayed in some locations." Glenn answered, a hopeful look coming to his eyes.

"I recall some cardboard maps put up displaying such a place." Eugene answered. "There sounds to be a problem with it though?"

"It's a facade. They make the place look 'n sound like sanctuary, but in reality it's a cannibal's paradise." Merle scowled at the thought. "___ ended up there, the bastards ate her mother right in front of her. She managed to escape with her father, but she admitted they were real lucky. People that go in aren't likely tah come out."

"And I made the mistake of not telling my wife about the place." Glenn admitted, dropping his gaze.

"Sounds like something you shouldn't forget to mention." Rosita stated, her eyes wide in horror but her mouth set in a thin line.

"We can go around the place. No stepping in. See if there's any sign of that wife of yours." Abraham affirmed as he glanced back at Merle. "How fast can you track?"

"Fast enough tah get out of there before they noticed we were around." Merle ran a finger across the blade of his knife.

"Good, that's what I like to hear." Abraham smiled, before focusing his gaze back ahead and tightening his grip on the steering wheel. "Keep an eye out for one of those Terminus maps."

"Steppin' right into the belly of the beast." Merle sighed as he glanced out the window, watching the trees go by. "Who wants to bet we're all gonna get caught seconds from entering the area."

"I like those odds."

~Reader's P.O.V.~

While Beth rested against the side of the funeral home, Daryl stepped up to the front door. You parked the motorcycle to the side of the funeral home before stepping up to the porch. You glanced around the area and aside from a few walkers in the distance, everything was clear. The redneck clicked open the door and stepped halfway in. He banged his hand on the wooden doorway and let out a whistle.

"Give it a minute." Daryl called back, in hopes of attracting walkers straight to the front door. After no sound of movement, the house was declared biter-free, but not yet human-free. Daryl stepped in with his crossbow up, followed by Beth who limped as you entered in, and lastly you, who closed the front door behind you. The last thing you wanted was walkers following you in.

"It's so clean." Beth noted with a quick glance around the entryway.

"Yeah. Someone's been tending to it." Daryl's eyes narrowed as he stepped further in. "May still be around."

"Let's keep our guards up then." You slipped out your pick axe as you made your way in deeper to the funeral home.


	6. Be Good

Daryl figured it would be a good time now to fix up Beth's ankle. After checking some doors, he found one leading to a room downstairs. You decided it would be best if you stayed upstairs and on guard while he patched up Beth. Daryl agreed and you watched the two slip downstairs while you stepped back to one of the front rooms.

The room was small and felt a bit muggy, the thick, velvet curtains and old rug didn't help. There were rows of chairs that faced an open casket, another casket was pushed against a different wall. A piano was pushed to one side of the room and a sofa with plush cushions was pushed to the back of the room. You stepped up to one casket to find it empty, but glancing in the other you were surprised to find a fresh body. Or maybe it appeared to be fresh, since it had make-up on.

It struck you that some people worked to do the make-up of corpses, so they could appear as they were alive rather than the fading into death. But the corpse still seemed rather new and you were a bit unnerved. You hope you wouldn't be running into some bad company. You moved away from the casket and to the back of the room, taking a seat on the plush sofa.

~Merle's P.O.V.~

After keeping an eye out for thirty minutes for a Terminus sign, the group finally spotted something. Though it wasn't a sign they were looking for. Rather, it was a grouping of cars in front of a run-down mechanic shop.

"This could be a good place to fuel up." Abraham hummed as he pulled up beside the other cars. He turned his body to face the others. "Alright, I'm setting everyone up with jobs. Tara, you and I are gonna fill up some gas containers full of fuel for the travel. Merle and Rosita, you'll have are backs on the ground, watching the area. Glenn, you're our eyes on the roads. You see something fishy, you give us a shout."

"And what about me, sir?" Eugene asked. Abraham rolled his eyes.

"Stay in the car and keep safe, you dumbass. That's your only job! Now, let's go!" Everyone stepped out of the truck at Abraham's command, Tara hopping out of the trunk from her position. Abraham fished out some gas containers from the truck bed and stepped to the nearest car. Glenn climbed into the trunk to keep watch, as Merle moved with Abraham and the others to the cars.

"Daryl worked at a place like this fer a while. Least until I came to pick him up 'n get him away from that hellhole." Merle glanced at the crumbling mechanic shop and frowned a little. "He was good at it. That Dixon knows his vehicles."

"And you don't?" Rosita raised an eyebrow.

"I know enough to get movin', but he could fix up a bike that hadn't been workin' for years." Merle smirked, before moving to the tree line around the area. He quickly spotted a walker stumbling through the trees and made quick work of it. The dark blood of the creature dripped down his blade, as he circled the shop for any more biters. Seeing no sign, Merle returned to the central area and glanced at the two filling their cans full of gasoline. Merle leaned against one of the vehicles, wishing he had a couple smokes.

~Reader's P.O.V.~

"Dang." Beth sighed as she closed the cupboards she was looking through. She had her shoes off, displaying her neatly patched up foot. Daryl was having some trouble with the bandages and remembering you had a doctor for a dad, he came to you. It didn't take long to wrap Beth's foot and after it was finished, Daryl suggested looting the place. Beth glanced back over at you both. "You find anything?"

"Not yet." You admitted, closing the drawer you were searching through. All the bottom rows were empty, that's for sure.

"Whoa." Daryl gasped as he opened up two cupboard doors to reveal rows of food. You and Beth stepped over as Daryl began to name and point out each food. "Peanut butter and jelly, diet soda, and pig's feet. That's a white trash brunch right there."

"It all looks good to me." Beth reached up and grabbed a couple of cans from the shelves to look them over.

"No, hold up." Daryl held up a hand as Beth looked to him in confusion. "Ain't a speck of dust on this."

"So?"

"That means somebody just put it here. This is someone's stash." Daryl looked to you hesitantly and that same unnerving feeling from earlier returned. You gave him a shrug, not sure how to act in this situation.

"Maybe they're still alive." Beth chirped.

"All right, we'll take some of it and we'll leave the rest, all right?" Daryl didn't expect an answer as he grabbed a jar of jelly.

"I don't want to starve, that's for sure." You stepped up, quickly grabbing a liter of soda and a can of baked beans for yourself.

"I knew it." Beth smiled a little, looking down at the cans in her hands.

"Knew what?" Daryl quirked an eyebrow as he cracked open his jar of jelly.

"It's like I said. There are still good people." Beth beamed lightly. You frowned, taking a seat at the dining table and clicking your can open. Daryl glanced at Beth, before sticking his hand into the jar of jelly and scooping out a fair amount. He shoved his hand into his mouth to lick off the spread, reminding you of how a child might eat such a thing. You smiled as Beth grimaced.

"Gross." Beth couldn't help but smile as she took a seat beside you.

"Hey, those pig's feet are mine." Daryl pointed at the bags full of pig's feet, as he licked off his fingers. You chuckled a little, as you brought up your can of beans, carefully eating the contents by holding it over your mouth. The sugary taste sent a spark through you and you hummed at the long-forgotten taste. Yeah, this felt like it might be an okay night.

~

The girl had been hesitant when she found you sitting in the room. You saw how her eyes shifted to the piano in the room and you gave her an easy smile, nodding to the instrument. Her expression softened as she stepped over to the instrument and after testing a few keys, began to play a song. Daryl had been out, setting up some cans to alert walkers that were showing up.

"Pine for summer then we'll buy a beer to shotgun. We'll lay on our lawn and we'll be good..." Beth sang softly as you sat back on your claimed sofa. You looked over as you noticed the familiar figure of Daryl step into the candlelit room. His footsteps were silent and the singing girl hadn't noticed his appearance. As she finished this verse, Daryl cleared his throat and Beth jumped, turning around to look at Daryl.

"Quiet as a ghost, ain't he?" You joked and earned a smug look from Daryl.

"The place is nailed up tight. The only way in is through the front door." Daryl announced, as he gave you one more nod and moved over to the empty open casket.

"What are you doing?" Beth asked in confusion as you both watch Daryl pull himself up into the casket.

"This is the comfiest bed I've had in years." Daryl smirked as he lied back in the casket.

"Really?"

"I ain't kidding." Daryl sighed lightly, seeming to hesitate. "Why don't you go ahead and play some more? Keep singing."

"I thought my singing annoyed you." Beth mocked a little and you frowned. You never heard Daryl say such a thing, were you missing something? Or was this for him snapping at her yesterday while she was drunk and he was slightly buzzed? 

"There ain't no jukebox, so..." Daryl trailed off.

"We're safe in here, it wouldn't hurt for you to play." You urged the younger girl. She gave you both surprised, but also grateful looks before turning back to the piano.

"And we'll buy..." Beth started off slowly, as she began to bring the melody back from the piano. Daryl closed his eyes and relaxed in the casket. You kicked your feet up and rested your head against the plush, allowing yourself to relax just this once. Once she got the hang of it, again, she continued to sing. "A beer to shotgun. We'll lay on the lawn and we'll be good. Now I'm laughing at my boredom and my string of failed attempts..."

~Merle's P.O.V.~

"Guys!" Everyone stiffened up at Glenn's shout. Merle pushed himself off the car he was leaning on and stepped over to look down the road. Not an easy task with the sun that was already beginning to drop in the sky, but he saw it. A giant herd of walkers was making its way around the corner. They had some time, but they needed to pack up now if they wanted some safe distance.

"Let's go!" Abraham yelled, grabbing up two containers of gasoline and tossing them into the back of the truck. Tara placed her own in the back, when walkers suddenly began to emerge from the trees.

"Shit... This can't be happening." Merle cursed as he hurried over, stabbing the nearest Walker through the head. A couple more containers were packed in and finally Abraham climbed into the driver's seat. He slammed the door shut as Tara got into the passenger, the ginger sticking his head out the window.

"Get your asses in the car and let's go!" The large man shouted and Merle didn't need more encouragement. Side by side with Rosita, the two sprinted over to the vehicle, climbing into the trunk. Abraham revved the engine and hit the gas pedal, lurching the truck down the road. The former sergeant swerved around the giant herd of walkers, finding some open spots on the side and sped through. The herd was left behind in the dust as the ginger whooped, loud enough to be heard from outside. "Damn! Never seen a herd that big before! A whole ugly bunch of them!"

"They're getting worse." Glenn was a pale white as he sat down with the other two in the trunk. "Maggie could be out in all that..."

"Yer woman is tougher than most of them." Merle huffed out as he began to clean up his blade. "She ain't going down by any ol' Walker."

"You think so?" Glenn asked, surprised at Merle's reassuring words.

"Even after being damaged by the Gov'nor, she looked down at him without an ounce of fear. Maybe she was hidin' it, but if she can hold a front like that, she's already got half of her survival down." Merle looked back at the shrinking herd of walkers. "But yer right. They're gettin' worse. We can't be havin' close calls like that anymore."

~Reader's P.O.V.~

"Who's the one you're worried about?" You asked Daryl. The redneck peeked an eye open from his place in the casket, Beth's light singing in the background.

"What are you talkin' about?" The younger Dixon turned onto his side, his arm under his head to prop it up a little. You pulled up a chair and sat beside the casket.

"That first morning after the prison... You said that Merle wasn't the one who you were worried about. Who was it?" You watched as the redneck's elated exterior began to slump and it almost looked as if bags were darkening under his eyes. He didn't answer, his eyes flicking downwards. You could read it on his unmoving lips. He didn't say a word, but his face said everything. "You're worried about Carol."

"I told yah not to bring her into this." Daryl growled slightly and began to turn onto his other side, but you grabbed his arm.

"I know I teased you about her, Daryl, and I took it too far sometimes. But... I only did it, because I see it." You released Daryl's arm as he looked back to you. "I know how it feels... To feel ashamed of loving someone... Not because of who they are, but because of who you are."

"..." Daryl sighed and moved to lie on his back. "She wasn't at the prison when the attack happened. Rick banished her before all that went down."

"What?" Your eyes widened. "Why would Rick banish her?"

"She's the one who killed Karen and David." Daryl answered and you recalled the event. Tyreese was furious, but you were too sick to really think about the issue. But Carol did it? You weren't especially close with the older woman and it startled you to hear she had went to lengths like that. "She didn't do it out of hatred or anything. She said it was to protect everyone else from gettin' sick."

"That sounds more like her." You offered a small smile. "She had to be strong to do that. For us, for you. Daryl she's got to be out there."

"On her own? She's never been on her own. Not like me. I should've been the one out there, she should be the one with you girls..." Daryl closed his eyes. "She understands yah both better... She could be doin' better than me... And she'd be okay..."

"You're doing fine, brother." You huffed with a smile, bringing a hand up to take Daryl's in yours. His hand was rough from the callouses received from his many years with the crossbow. It was warm though and his fingers curled around your hand. "If Carol is anything like Merle told me... She'd kill anyone who'd get in her way to find you."

"Merle told you about Carol?" Daryl raised an eyebrow, growing interested.

"Didn't he tell you about that time she threatened him?" You smiled, remembering when Merle told you about the strange encounter. "It was the first day he showed up with you at the prison and she gave him some dinner. Apparently she kept her motherly smile on as she told Merle to not be a bad influence on you or else she'd kill him."

"Hm..." A soft smile began to curl on Daryl's lips as he brought your hand to his chest. "That sounds like my Carol..."


	7. Good Man

After filling up on beans, jam, and half a liter of soda, you wanted to rest from the hard couple of days. You admitted to the younger Dixon about how exhausted you were and he quickly suggested for you to rest for the night. So, you set up a little spot on your claimed sofa and settled down, falling asleep. You left Daryl and Beth to continue eating and chatting.

You rested for maybe an hour or so, when you heard the shouts. You shot up from your spot and looked over to the entry way, catching sight of a crossbow being tossed in the air. You grabbed your bag and slung your father's rifle over your shoulder, before hurrying over.

"Daryl!" You shouted, finding the redneck struggling to close the front door. Walkers snarled as they reached their arms through, trying to get in or at least get ahold of the Dixon. You slid out both of your ice picks, but Daryl shook his head.

"Run! ___! Run!" Daryl shoved against the door, but didn't make progress with keeping the walkers out. But you heard the urgency in his voice and turned to go look for Beth. You ran down the hall and towards the kitchen, finding Beth at the end of the hall. Her hand held the doorknob to the back door and her wide, scared eyes looked to you.

"Daryl, we can't go without him." She insisted and you nodded, glancing back down the hall. You heard more struggle, before loud stomps filled the halls of the home.

"Beth, ___, pry open a window. Get your shit!" Daryl shouted and you caught a glimpse of his shadow as he turned down to the door leading to the basement.

"We're not gonna leave you." Beth yelled back.

"Go out. Go up the road. I'll meet you both there." Before any of you could argue, you heard Daryl begin to stomp down the stairs to the basement. He gave one last shout of, "Go!"

You slammed the door shut to the room you were in with Beth as she clicked open the back door. You both rushed out and you took a glance back at Merle's bike leaning against the house. You wish you had more time. Your grip on the picks tightened as you made your way to the empty dirt with Beth.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Beth panted a little, as she looked back at the funeral home. You looked back, too, and grimaced at the sight of all those walkers at the front door. They were stumbling into the home and disappearing from view. You slid your picks back into the belt loops of your pants.

"He'll be fine. No one can kill a Dixon, but a Dixon." You answered. You looked back to Beth and opened your mouth to say something, but it happened too fast. A car swung onto the road and slammed into Beth, sending her hurtling onto the ground. You were paralyzed, trying to process what happened.

The car doors clicked open and you regained your willpower, sliding your rifle up into your hands and aiming it at the two men in front of you. They brought up their own pistols and you kept your gun on the nearest man.

"Who the heck do you think you are?" You shouted. One of the men fired at you and you pulled the trigger. The man nearest to you dropped to the ground, dead. The first person you had killed in a long time. Your shoulder flared up in pain and you knew that's where the bullet lodged in.

"Fine, we don't have to do this easy!" Your vision swayed as the other man made his way around the car and brought a dark object up. A sharp pain was struck across the back of your head and the last thing you saw was the man stepping over to Beth.

~Merle's P.O.V.~

"So, Merle Dixon." The redneck glanced over at the ginger who sat on the other end of the back seat. After a day of hectic driving, Glenn offered to drive for the day. Abraham was hesitant, but Rosita convinced him to hand the wheel over. But Merle was regretting it, Abraham was restless and became a chatter-box when bored. Abraham narrowed his eyes at Merle, seemingly trying to read him. "You said you were in the army. A marine, right?"

"Yeah, so?" Merle asked, holding his knife in a way to send the message to back down. This instead caused Abraham to chuckle.

"I'm sorry, I'm just curious to hear what you've done. Unless it's too sensitive, of course." He quickly added at the end.

"Ya might not like what ya hear." Merle admitted, a smirk beginning to creep up on his face.

"You ain't a traitor to the country, are you?" Abraham glanced over Merle. "I mean, I doubt it since you are a red-blooded hick, but you never can be too sure."

"No, I'm a hard-core American. God bless America 'n all that shit. But I've never been one tah follow rules. Doesn't matter what country it is." Merle chuckled a little, deciding at this point it wouldn't hurt to share his military experience. He'd grown to like Abraham, even if he was just as stubborn as he was. "I never was able tah get out into battle. Two years of training, I know my guns and strategies, but I wasn't well liked personality-wise. One day, one of my 'higher officials' was gettin' up in my face. So, I smashed his face in."

"You struck your official?" Abraham's eyes widened. "I guess I shouldn't be too surprised, you do seem like the type to step out of line to get a rise out of others."

"Ya should've saw the stuff I did in this group in the early days." Merle scoffed lightly, looking ahead to the road.

"Should I keep an eye on you, Dixon?" Abraham asked, though there was a teasing to his tone.

"You can surely try, but it ain't gettin' you nowhere." Merle lifted a hand to block the morning rays from his eyes as he answered the question.

"Wait... Is that...?" Glenn straightened up from his seat and everyone looked forward at his exclamation. A sign of cardboard was duck taped to a post up ahead and Glenn slowed to a stop at the sign. The sign was a map to Terminus, but it wasn't the only thing there. A message written in Walker gunk was left over the map.

"Glenn, go to Terminus. -Maggie"

"Oh my god..." Rosita looked at the message with wide eyes and everyone else looked in shock, too. Except for one Asian kid. The brightest smile lit up across Glenn's face.

"She's alive! She's alive. I knew she would be." Glenn glanced back at the others, his smile never leaving his face. "Let's go grab that map and find my wife."

~Reader's P.O.V.~

A sound filled your head, two thumps. Ba-bump. Again and again. The sun was shining in your face and you blinked your eyes open, turning your head away from the light. You were met with white walls.

After a few seconds of processing, your eyes widened and your breathe caught. You were in a hospital room. You looked down at yourself to find you were still in your clothes, but an IV was sticking out of your arm. This had to be a dream.

You ripped the IV out of your arm and pushed yourself out of the bed. Your vision spun and a pounding at the back of your head scrambled your mind. That guy who hit you, he didn't go easy.

You scrambled around the room trying to find your bag, your ice packs, even your rifle would be a good sight to see. But you found nothing, all the cupboards were empty and the counter and floors were clear.

You stumbled to the door and flung it open, stepping out into a clean hallway. Several heads turned to look your way as you froze up seeing the strangers. Your hand grasped for the wall, when a younger boy calmly approached you.

"Hey, hey. It's alright. No one here wants to hurt you." He tried to soothe, but you didn't really trust anyone here.

"Yeah, right. One of your men struck me with... A baton or something?" It was dark, you couldn't say for sure what it was.

"Maybe we can talk about this..." The boy seemed to struggle for words, before his eyes lit up. "Wait, you had a friend, right?"

"... I was with a girl." You answered. "Where is she?"

"I'll take you to her. Come on." The boy gestured you over and you hesitantly followed him. He took you down a couple doors, before opening one hospital door. You stepped in to find Beth, unconscious and in a similar state to how you were. You frowned before looking to the boy.

"Who are you? Where are you? And whose sick idea was this?"

"Slow down, I can answer all those. It's not like you need to be anywhere."

"Wrong, we were with a man and he's probably looking for us, right now." Your shoulders slumped as you thought about Daryl, he was probably tearing down the whole forest for you both. He didn't have much self-esteem in the first place, he had to be kicking himself over this. "We need to get back to him now."

"They took you from a group?" The boy asked, his expression hardening and his tone becoming sharp.

"Yeah, why?"

"..." The boy stepped back and shut the hospital door, cutting your conversation off to the others. "I'm Noah and right now, you're in Grady's Memorial Hospital."

"Where is that?"

"Atlanta."

"What?!" You just about seethed. "I'm all the way back in Atlanta?! I've been heading the opposite way ever since the start. How are you people even still alive? I thought everyone died around here."

"A few survived, this place is made up of leftover police force and doctors. They pick up survivors that they find or..." The kid folded his arms. "Or they find stragglers from groups and kidnap them without consent. The same thing happened to me."

"That's messed up." You glanced over Noah. "So... If you're still here, I'm guessing there's no a way out of here."

"There is, but it's not easy." Noah bit his lip, looking to Beth. "Will she want to leave, too? Your friend?"

"She has family she needs to get back to." You thought about how far away you were from everyone. Daryl, Maggie, Merle. Merle. "I need to get back to them. Beth, too."

"We can discuss this later, when your friend is awake." Just as Noah finished his sentence, the door to the hospital room flew open. You both looked over to find a small women with neatly pulled back hair and a police uniform on.

"Noah, I thought I told you and everyone else that if the guest wakes up they should be brought to me immediately." The woman scolded sharply, before turning her gaze to focus on you. Her eyes were icy and you felt a chill run down your back. "Excuse him, he's young. I am Officer Dawn Lerner."

"He did nothing wrong." You quickly stepped in, defending the boy. "I needed to see Beth, nothing was gonna stop me. He was kind enough to take me here."

"That doesn't excuse orders." Dawn pursed her lips and looked you over. "You look older when awake, more tense. I can tell you're healthy though, you're a survivor."

"You do lots of things to survive nowadays." You gruffly let out, clenching and up clenching your fists. You didn't like this lady, not one bit.

"I know YOU do, I lost a good man to you." Dawn's tone was threatening and you narrowed your eyes.

"Your 'good man' hit my friend with a car. Your 'good man' aimed a gun at me. Your 'good man' was going to kidnap us and probably others." You stepped closer to the smaller woman, glaring. "Good men don't wear uniforms anymore. The best men I've met? They were criminals before this."

"Watch your tone. I am an officer, we have just barely enough supplies to provide for the people here. One less mouth to feed would be a blessing." The woman held her stance against you, her eyes hard and cold.

"Then when she wakes up, you let us go." You challenged. The woman held your gaze, before shaking her head.

"That's not possible." Dawn turned to the door and walked out, stopping right outside the door. "Go eat, you must be hungry. Come to my office when you're done."

She disappeared around the corner and you find yourself relaxing with her gone. Okay, at least you knew who to trust and who not to. Anyone who liked that woman was a bad sign. But this Noah... He went out of his way to help you. You looked to the kid and he gave an apologetic look.

"Hopefully you get the idea..." Noah sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Come on, I'll show you to the cafeteria."

~Merle's P.O.V.~

"We're stopping here." Abraham announced as he slowed the truck to the side of the road. A crumbling tower stood a few feet away and looked like a decent shelter for a few hours. "We need to have some lunch, refuel, and then get back on the road."

"It's barely noon." Glenn argued.

"I don't give a monkey's left nut. None of us have slept more than a couple hours straight since we went all Casey Jones." Abraham looked to Glenn, resting a hand on his shoulder. "This place looks safe. We need to rest... I get it. You have to find her."

Merle huffed at the fake sympathy display and hopped out of the trunk, stretching his legs. The others exited the vehicle after Merle's actions. Eugene stepped over to the tower and began to inspect it as Rosita began to set up a fire to get lunch going. Tara stepped over to Merle and gave him a questioning look. Merle gave the girl a shrug.

"Just bitchin' it looks like." Merle answered. He was surprised the lesbian was alright around him. He certainly didn't let up his slurs around her and he wasn't exactly nice. But she seemed to trust him. Then again, she spent time with the Governor. She probably appreciated the blunt honesty, even if it was rude.

"Well, Rosita and me, we got a mission, too. It's keeping that man alive, getting him to Washington, and saving the whole damn world. So we're stopping now." Abraham killed the engine, before stepping out of the vehicle. Tara stepped over to Eugene to look at the tower, too, as Abraham approached them. A snarl sounded and everyone looked up in surprise. A walker appeared at the top of the tower.

"Oh, crap." Tara gasped, as everyone watched the Walker stumble off the edge.

"Hey, hey, hey, watch out!" Abraham shoved Tara to the side, pushing Eugene out of the way of the Walker. Tara crumpled to the ground, having tripped over some roots. She hissed holding her ankle. Merle moved fast and quickly put down the Walker, sliding his knife out with ease.

"Shit, now they got suicidal walkers. Never thought I'd see the day." Merle flicked off the blood from his knife. Glenn stepped out of the truck with wide eyes. Abraham was dusting off Eugene as Rosita hurried over to Tara, bending down beside her.

"Are you okay?" Rosita asked, trying to get a look at Tara's ankle.

"I'm fine." Tara assured her, trying to get to her feet.

"We got to stay here. Who's gonna help me carry her up?" Rosita glanced back at the others expectantly. Merle lifted his knife arm to show off his inability to carry her. Glenn hurried over and kneeled beside Tara, too, getting an arm under hers.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah." Tara nodded, carefully getting to her feet with Glenn and Tara's help.

"You wanna stop or you wanna keep going?"

"No, keep going. I'm good." Tara pushed away from them both, getting her own stance and letting out a huff.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Yeah."

"Look, if she can keep going, we can all keep going." Not getting a response to the newly added trio, Glenn frowned and stiffened up. "Or you guys can stay here. You don't need us, we don't need you. It's okay."

"Wow, you're an ass." Rosita snarled, stepping up to get in Glenn's face. She poked him in the chest. "She will do whatever you say because she thinks she owes you. Man up. Stay here for a few hours."

"Woman is right, fer once." Merle pulled out his dry blood rag and began to clean off his knife. "The least we need to do is refuel."

"Do you hear yourself, Merle? Maggie is walking right into the cannibal haven." Glenn pointed down the road to make his point.

"She won't get far on foot. That sign, I checked it, the blood was fresh. We're closer to her, than she is to Terminus." Merle finished cleaning his blade and shoved his rag back into his pants. "Quick snack, gas up the truck, and we'll fly like a bullet down the road."

"What about ___? What if she's with Maggie?"

"Don't bring his girl into this." Abraham piped up.

"Not mah woman. She ain't anybody's." Merle clarified. "And if she is with your woman, than your woman knows that place is a death trap. She'll be safer."

"___'s a kid, Merle. She can't be out there on her own." Glenn continued to argue.

"Ya don't think I realize that?!" Merle shot Glenn a heated look. The redneck wished he had something to smoke real bad now. A shot of heroin was sounding pretty nice right now. "The faster we get this break over with, the faster we move."

"... I'm sorry... I took that too far." Glenn sighed, before looking to Abraham. "You just care about keeping Eugene safe, right? It's the only reason you want to stop? We go until sundown, I give Eugene my riot gear right here, right now. Everybody wins."

"Except her." Rosita pointed to Tara.

"You're not her mama. She says she can walk, she can walk. Besides we're driving." Abraham stepped up to Glenn, a smirk forming on his face. "You got yourself a deal. Let's refuel and go."

~Reader's P.O.V.~

Noah had to leave you to go do his chores, not wanting to get into anymore trouble. You didn't blame him and urged him to go work. Now you found yourself in the cafeteria and staring at the set up food.

You thought the food found from yesterday was good, but this place was really a cafeteria. A cart filled with fruits and vegetables. Another filled with premade sandwiches, another full of fresh water bottles. It was food heaven. You grabbed a tray and got to work picking out food, wondering just how much would fill you.

After grabbing your second sandwich, you heard an amused chuckle behind you and whirled around in surprise. You were met with a young man, only a few years older than you. He gave you an easy smile as you inspected him. The sides of his brown hair were buzzed while the top was short and messy. He had some light stubble, but he was clean.

But he was also wearing a police uniform.

"You must be new around here. No one grabs that much food." The young man nodded to your tray and you defensively brought it closer to your chest.

"Why's that?" You asked.

"We have a point system around here. You take or use anything, you owe us. Food included. You get points by working for them." The young man explained. "Sounds like an even trade, right?"

"Sounds like a trap to keep people here." You mumbled. The young man smiled a little more, before giving a polite nod.

"Names Kyle McGinley. Was an officer, but times have changed..." He ran a hand through his hair. "It's nice seeing a new face around here."

"___... I'm not looking to make friends. I'm just waiting for my friend to get better and then I'm out with her." You sighed, setting the second sandwich and a few of the other food items back.

"How are you gonna pay off her medical treatment?" You froze at the man's words and looked to him, incredulous.

"That... That point system applies to medical attention?"

"We don't have many medical supplies to spare." Kyle pointed out and your grip on the food tray tightened.

"Your people hit her with a freaking car! She didn't choose to get hurt like that!" Your outburst caused the others in the room to look at you in shock. You scowled at the man, before turning away from him and heading to an empty table. You sat down and immediately clicked open the water bottle, beginning to guzzle down the water. Seeing movement, you looked up to see Kyle sitting down in front of you. You shot him a look and he held up a hand in defense.

"Hey, I didn't know they did that. It's not cool or fair. And this place might seem... Suffocating. But it's safe." Kyle's expression softened as he watched you with his lips set in a line. "It's hard to find safe nowadays."

"..." You shook your head, unwrapping your sandwich. "Nowhere's safe, it's the people your with that need to be trustworthy."

~Merle's P.O.V.~

It wasn't a new sight to see decaying bodies on the ground, but when you start to see them more and more often when driving in one direction, it just might be a sign. Merle lost track after counting thirty dead bodies. After stopping by to examine the bodies, they either had bullets in them or knives shoved into their skulls. Not really how his brother or the girl rolls, though she might still have her father's rifle...

Merle sat in the back seat of the truck and felt a weight grow in his pocket. He fished around in there for a moment, before withdrawing the girl's derringer. The small object shined back at him as the rays of the sun hit it and he found himself smiling a bit. He unloaded the gun to find that it still had one bullet in it. He had more ammo for the small gun, but he didn't bother to reload it at the moment.

"We're gaining on 'em." Abraham nodded to the road, pointing out the bodies consistent appearance. Glenn was excited, but all hopes dwindled when the group stopped beside a tunnel. A couple bodies lied down outside the tunnel and everyone knew what that meant. Abraham frowned. "We sure as Shinola can't go up and over."

"Amen to that." Merle huffed, not seeing a good way around this obstacle. The sound of snarling came through the tunnel and everyone knew it had to be Walker-filled.

"How about around?" Tara suggested.

"No. That'll take a day, maybe more. If Maggie went through, I'm going through." Glenn clicked open the passenger door and hopped out, shoving his gun into his back pocket and hefting his bag over his shoulder. "We're close."

"Shut up a second. You hear that?" Abraham snapped. Everyone fell silent and the snarling of walkers was as clear as day. "That there is a long, dark tunnel full of reanimated corpses. I don't have full-on certainty that I can get Eugene through there alive. My recommendation would be take the day, make the detour and play it safe, but I know you're not gonna do that."

Abraham sighed, slumping back in his seat. Merle could read it before Abraham said it and he looked to Glenn with a raised eyebrow.

"So this is where we've got to part ways. I'm sorry. You're on your own." Abraham let out, as Glenn slowly nodded.

"No, you're not." Tara opened the back door and carefully got out of the vehicle, being wary of her ankle. She smiled and stumbled over to Glenn. The Asian nodded in appreciation, before hesitating and looking to Merle.

"Merle, you don't have to come with us. Your a good edition to their group and I know you don't like me a whole lot... So, if you don't want to come along, I get it." Glenn assured, but became stiff when Merle snorted.

"You shittin' me? I'm all for savin' the world and gettin' some bitches, but my brother comes first. He comes first before all that." Merle hefted his bag over his shoulder and hopped out of the open car door. He slammed it shut and looked back to Abraham. "Sorry, copperhead. But I can't put a hold on findin' my brother to save the world. He's all I got left."

"I get it... It was nice working with you, soldier." Abraham huffed a little, but his smile grew some more. The former sergeant bent down, before lifting up a leftover grocery bag and tossing it out the open window. Glenn caught it and opened it to reveal three cans of food and a flashlight.

"No, no, no. Those are yours. You guys will need them for your trip." Glenn began to walk back to the car, but Abraham gave a firm shake of his head.

"You will, too."

"Thank you." Glenn smiled a little, removing the flashlight and placing the bagged food into his own bag. He looked back to Abraham, pausing for a moment. "Sorry, I... hit you in the face."

"I'm not. I like to fight." Abraham smirked a little. Rosita hopped out of the trunk and walked over to the driver's door, but not before nodding to the other trio.

"Good luck. Try not to be an ass." Rosita smiled a little, before making Abraham move to the side while she took the wheel. Eugene scooted over to the window and leaned out of it.

"You're good people. I have to say that you are seriously hot, Tara." Eugene complimented, not missing a beat.

"Yeah, I like girls." Tara smiled a little, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly.

"I'm well aware of that." Eugene stated, after a pause. Merle snickered at the blunt and amusing refusal, glad that it wasn't a big deal. Eugene ushered Tara over and he spoke to her quietly out of everyone else's earshot.

"I don't know." Merle started with a grin, glancing at Glenn. "Couldn't she go bi for the poor fella? They're both nerds 'n dig the same stuff. They speak their own language. It's almost meant tah be."

"Oh, stop it." Glenn rolled his eyes.

"Thanks." Tara stepped away from Eugene with a smile, before heading back to the other two. The trio waved to the others in the truck, before the truck took off down the road. The three turned back to the tunnel and Merle huffed at the hesitation.

"Come on, let's get this rodeo goin'." Merle stomped forward into the tunnel, his blade held up as the two followed from behind.

"Hey. I know what you're going through. After this all started, after I realized I'd never see my family, my friends again, I was numb. All day long, just numb. I'm just saying I get it." Merle could hear Tara trying to comfort Glenn and could understand the pain he felt. When you feel like you might lose everything. Merle's felt that plenty of times in his life. "When Brian told us he wanted to take over the prison, I knew it sounded bad. When I found my girlfriend, she was dead. My niece. My sister... Her head was cut clean off.."

Merle was curious to where her sister was on the battleground, but he grimaced at the thought. She must've been cut down by Michonne, Merle hoped that if they did find her Tara would be... Forgiving. The light began to fade as they stepped deeper into the large tunnel.

"I saw it happen. But still, it wasn't as bad as seeing what she did to Maggie's father. Because that's when I knew." The tunnel became eerily silent as her words settled in. Her sister was THAT woman. The one who shot Hershel, the one who started fighting Rick and the one Michonne finished off. "The second she raised her gun-I wanted to scream "no," but it just happened. Brian said we might have to kill people. I was the first to jump in. I was just hanging on the "might.""

Merle felt some of his anger towards the old man's death stir within him, but he kept it down. Tara wasn't the one who killed him, it was her sister. Tara didn't want to and actually managed to not kill anyone. This isn't what she wanted.

"Get that flashlight ready, chopsticks." Merle sighed, running a hand through his hair. He grimaced at the familiar feeling of his curly hair, but knew it wasn't his top priority. But when he found a mirror and a pair of scissors, it was going.


	8. Fallen Shells

Merle watched the walkers carefully, still slightly amused by their predicament. At one point earlier in time, part of the tunnel caved-in and crushed the walkers in the tunnel below it. Bodies of rotting flesh were stuck under the debris and desperately reached out as the trio walked past. Unfortunately, the cave-in was wall to wall, so the group found they were going to have to climb the mountain of stone. Glenn stepped over to a put-down walker, examining the blood that was pooling around its head.

"The blood is still wet. This had to have happened today." Glenn straightened up and handed his flashlight to Tara. "Hold this."

"Glenn. What are you doing?" Tara asked, following Glenn with the flashlight as Merle rolled his eyes and began to carefully climb the mountain of debris, stabbing walkers he came across on the way.

"She's not one of them." Glenn examined each Walker, before stabbing them, too. Merle caught on fast, the Asian kid was making sure none of those biters was his wife.

"What?" Tara wasn't as quick.

"There's no bodies on the ground. That means Maggie made it through. She made it through." Glenn beamed before he looked over at Merle who was gradually making his way up and over the cave-in. The younger man looked at the remaining walkers with a frown. "We have to get rid of them."

"We don't have enough ammo." Tara pointed out. "And it will take longer to put them down with knives. And what if they hear us and we get swarmed?"

"Then we'll push through."

"C'mon, pussies. I've cleared enough of 'em. If you sit there worryin' we'll never cover enough ground." Merle called back, causing the two to wince. Glenn didn't respond, instead opting to follow after Merle.

"We have to find another way." Tara sighed, but reluctantly followed. The three carefully made their way across the loose rocks, finding the stretch longer than they would hope. After crossing about halfway across the cave-in, Tara moved too quickly and her foot slipped between some rubble. She collapsed onto the debris, now stuck and causing a crashing sound to echo through the tunnel. Snarling grew louder in the tunnel and Merle cursed as he held up his bayonet.

~Reader's P.O.V.~

"This is her office." Kyle stopped you in front of a simple door, though the window peeking in had blinds drawn across it. The young man turned to you with a slight smile. "Good luck in there, Dawn can be a bit hardcore sometimes."

"I'm not scared. I've seen some really horrifying stuff." You took a deep breathe, hoping this would be over with fast. Whatever this woman wanted with you.

"Those rotters are pretty traumatizing, you do got me there." Kyle offered you a small smile and you realized he was talking about walkers.

"Rotters, huh? Not a bad name for them. My group called them walkers." You hesitated, before looking back to the door. "A good friend of mine called them biters."

"Both accurate as well." Kyle placed a hand on your shoulder and lowered his head to level his gaze with yours. "If you need someone to talk to after talking with the beast, you don't have to hesitate to come find me. It's nice being able to vent to someone or at least, it is for me."

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind... Thanks." You offered Kyle an empty smile, before he released your shoulder and walked down the hall. You faced the door, again, before reaching out and hesitantly knocking on the door.

"Come in." Sounded through the wood surface and you turned the doorknob, opening the door. You stepped into an extremely clean office, finding Dawn seated behind a desk which was clear of anything at the moment. She looked up from shutting her desk drawers and her expression remained neutral seeing you. "Sit down."

You took a seat in front of the desk and warily kept your eyes on the woman, she made you feel so uneasy. She brushed out some wrinkles on her shirt, before regarding you.

"I don't think I received your name."

"___." You answered, folding your arms.

"Last name?"

"First is enough." Telling your full name wouldn't hurt anyone, but it was part of you. You weren't giving every bit of you to this stranger.

"Alright, ___. We need to bring up some issues you've caused us." Dawn sighed a little. "You seem to perceive that we meant to hurt your friend, but that isn't the case. It was an accident. Therefore, we want to make up for our faults."

"So, this should be a favor."

"And it would be, but there's one problem." Dawn leaned her elbows on the desk, her eyes narrowing. "Originally, we could have let you and Beth leave without any strings attached. We give you your stuff and your on your way. But you, dear, have destroyed any chance of that."

"What are you going on about?"

"You killed one of my men." Dawn hissed and you recalled her mentioning it earlier. You never felt good about killing anybody, but he had a gun up, too, and he was involved with hitting Beth. He was a threat.

"It was self-defense, I was trying to protect B... My friend and I. It's hard to trust a couple of guys with guns who just hit my friend with their car." You defended, holding your ground.

"Nevertheless, it can't be overlooked. I cannot allow you or your friend to leave until you pay the price of his death." Dawn slid open a drawer and pulled out some Manila folders. "I will calculate how many points you and your friend owe with the medical treatment, that man's death, and whatever expenses you continue to impose. I'll report to you your payment and you can begin to work it off."

"But I won't be able to pay it off, huh? Charging food and clean water, it's a never ending cycle. It's used to trap people here." You snapped, but Dawn only looked at you with a blank expression. You scowled a little and got to your feet. "Fine, I can play your game, officer. If that's what you want."

"I'm glad you're seeing it my way. You're free to go." Dawn waved you off and you turned, heading out of the office. The door clicked behind you as you stepped down the hall. You would play the woman's game, but you didn't say you were gonna play fair.

~Merle's P.O.V.~

While the other two were dilly-dallying, Merle found himself stabbing Walker after Walker. A whole herd was forming and Merle cursed with each head he plunged through. He wouldn't be able to keep it up, his arm was tiring, he couldn't risk bullets, and the herd was just growing larger.

"Go. Go." Tara urged Glenn, as the Asian kid was bent down trying to loosen her foot. "Find Maggie. Go find Maggie."

"No, no." Glenn repeated, cutting up his palm from trying to shift the rock. He bit his lip through the pain, but kept trying to push aside the rock. "No!"

"Just get the damn thing off! We already got enough attention!" Merle shouted back, raising his pistol up to gun down a Walker that got too close. He scolded himself for wasting the bullet, but continued on.

"Glenn, you can't save me." Glenn ignored Tara's cries, as he strained to get the rock off her foot. "Even if you got this off me, I can't run. And if you help me, they're gonna get all of us."

"There's got to be a way. There's got to be a different way." Glenn reasoned, running his uninjured hand through his clammy hair.

"Glenn, they're coming." Tara pointed out. Merle was protecting mostly himself and didn't notice the walkers climbing along the rubble to the other two.

"I'm not leaving. I'm not leaving you!" Glenn shouted, as he pulled helplessly at the rock. It shifted a little under his grip, giving the Korean some more resolve.

"Goddammit!" Merle spun around and quickly skimmed across the debris, being careful of his own footing. He jabbed into a Walker that had gotten too close to the other two. "You got thirty seconds, kid! Then I'm haulin' our asses out of here! With or without her!"

"Get out of here! Go!" Tara exclaimed, trying to push Glenn's hands away.

"No." Glenn affirmed. To Tara and Merle's surprise, Glenn got up and raised his pistol, gunning down the nearest biters. They went down with ease. "Come on!"

Merle was about to shout some praise to the kid, to his own surprise, and let out some rage-filled shots, too. But the rev of an engine stopped any of those actions from proceeding. The squeal of some tires followed, as the headlights to a vehicle turned on in the tunnel and lit up the whole area.

"Get down!" Someone shouted, and it took Merle a moment to recognize it. Abraham. Merle dropped down with Glenn. There was the sound of multiple guns clicking and suddenly all the walkers at the base of the cave-in dropped to the ground, lifeless once more. Merle lifted his head from the ground, looking over to the group.

"Holy shit." Merle's eyes widened upon seeing the three new-comers. The sharp-shooter, horse-gums, and the farmer's daughter. Glenn immediately got to his feet, running over and embracing Maggie. Merle stood up, too, and heard the shifting of stone. He looked down to see Tara move the stone off her foot.

Merle shoved his pistol into the back of his pants and offered the rug muncher his hand. She gratefully took it, as he pulled her onto her feet. The redneck looked over and huffed in amusement, seeing Glenn get some sugar from his wife. The two pulled away from each other, smiling lovingly.

"Hi." Glenn beamed, resting his forehead against Maggie's.

"Hi." Maggie giggled, averting her eyes downward.

"God, you are so beautiful." Glenn embraced Maggie, holding her close as she held back. Merle rolled his shoulders, trying to relax his muscles. He nodded to Abraham who stepped over to him and Tara.

"Ya really saved our asses, sergeant. Thanks." Merle offered a smile, as Abraham grinned back.

"We weren't considering, but when we found Mrs. Rhee... Didn't seem right to leave." Abraham placed a hand on Merle's shoulder. "Maybe you aren't a soldier, but you are a survivor. We could really use you on the trip to D.C."

"We'll see." Merle glanced back at the new three and found himself frowning a little. No sign of Daryl or the girl. He wouldn't settle until he knew where and how they were. Merle slipped his hand into his pocket, touching the derringer there slightly.

~ 

"How'd it go?" Rosita asked, as Abraham came back with Sasha from the end of the tunnel. The ginger sat down next to his lover with a smile.

"End of the tunnel's secure. If anything tries to come in, we'll hear in plenty of time." He announced, before wrapping an arm around her and leaned back against the car tire to watch the small fire that was built to keep the residents warm. Merle finished cleaning his blade and reloading his pistol, deciding to retire for the night. But he was surprised when the Asian kid came over to sit by him, his wife dropping at his side.

"Hey." Maggie gave Merle a small nod, though she was still frowning a little. "I was surprised to see you with Glenn."

"He helped us get here." Glenn backed up, before Merle could get his own words in. Merle glanced at Maggie and could see it in her eyes. She hadn't forgiven him, yet, not like Glenn had. But it didn't bother Merle, let the woman think what she want.

"Heh, a girl walks into a tunnel to find a hick, an Asian, 'n a rug muncher. That sounds like a helluva joke to me." Merle snorted, as he tossed some kindling into the fire. "We all had mutual wants, only makes sense that we work together."

"Are you looking for Daryl?" Maggie asked, her expression now becoming empathetic. It would appear that Merle's little brother had touched her heart in someway, to get her to make a face like that.

"Ya seen him?" Merle's tone was more accusing, but he was hopeful. He wasn't pleased to get a shake of the head though. Merle sighed and pulled out his new pack of cigarettes, he found it off one of the walkers that was in the tunnel. He quickly lit the cigarette, ready to ease his pain for the next hour. Maggie looked to Tara who sat at Merle's other side, her foot now wrapped up.

"We didn't get to officially meet." Maggie smiled at the other girl.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Tara, this is Maggie." Glenn gestured with his hand, smiling a little awkwardly. "Maggie, Tara."

"Hi." Tara greeted with a raise of her hand.

"Hi." Maggie's smile brightened.

"He's a big fan of yours."

"I met Tara on the road. Couldn't have made it here without her." Glenn lied through his teeth and Merle looked to him with a raised eyebrow. Glenn sent back a pleading look and Merle responded with a small nod. The last thing this group needed was some unneeded tension.

"Yeah, she kept us in our places." Merle added with a drag of his cigarette.

"Thank you." Maggie gave Tara a grateful look, causing the latter to lower her gaze.

"When she heard what I was doing, she said she had to help me. She's just that kind of person." Glenn continued, giving Tara a small smile. Merle knew the farmer's daughter would get the truth one day, but not now. All Merle wanted right now, was some good sleep. He wanted to get up early and fInd his brother. And the girl.

~

A couple hours went by as everyone relaxed in the tunnel, chatting and eating happily. Merle was more observing the conversations, but he did chat with Abraham a little. Just more talk about their trip to D.C., something Merle wasn't leaning on, to Abraham's surprise. Merle shrugged.

"Can't leave without knowin' what became of mah brother 'n that girl." Merle simply answered. The night went on. Merle smoke through four sticks and decided to stop for the night, wanting to save the rest for another time.

"I'm downright tickled y'all found each other. Should spend the rest of the night celebrating." Abraham announced, lifting a bottle of water in exaggeration. "Because tomorrow there's absolutely no reason why the nine of us don't stuff ourselves in that van and head up to Washington."

"He's right. I'm gonna go." Tara affirmed, earning a grateful nod from Abraham.

"No, he's wrong." Eugene frowned, glancing at the others. "We're partway from Houston to Washington. We're low on ammo and firearms, period. We were fully loaded when we started and we lost eight people since then."

"That wasn't our fault." Rosita hissed.

"They're gone. I can't imagine we'd have better luck with what we have. I think we need to arm ourselves a little better, before trucking it." Eugene twiddled his thumbs a little. "Just for the safety of all of us."

"Nerd has a point." Merle stretched out his legs, as he leaned back against the truck's tire. "We've lost some led."

"And where do you plan to get all this?" Rosita accused.

"Not Terminus." Maggie spoke up, she glanced to Merle and Glenn. "Sasha told us what you heard, about that cannibal haven. We didn't want to head in this direction, but it was the only way we thought we could find Glenn."

"Bet they're loaded though." Merle frowned. "___ said they were armed tah the teeth, mostly because they take everything from the survivors they capture."

"And Tyreese could be there." Sasha frowned, biting her lip a little. "I didn't tell him about Terminus... He could be there, I can't just leave him there."

"If he's in there, he's already dead. ___ only barely managed tah escape with her pops. No doubt security tightened up there." Merle received a couple dirty looks as he rolled his eyes. "I'm just being realistic."

"What if Daryl is there, too?"

"Bitch, he was there when I told y'all. He ain't stupid."

"But what if he hadn't known and was in there, wouldn't you want to storm in, too?" Sasha pushed and Merle frowned.

"I would... But it's still a dumbass idea. We don't have enough fire to protect us. Goin' in is a suicide mission and I don't know about y'all, but I don't want to be made into a soufflé." Merle scratched his scruff and grimaced at the feeling.

"How about we just check from the borders, see if we can find a sign from there?" Glenn suggested. 

"And risk gettin' spotted?"

"We'll be fast." Sasha added. "Merle, you're a hunter, you know how to conceal yourself. Right?"

"My brother's the Hunter, I just know enough tah survive." Merle exhaled as he glanced around at the others. Too many of them were hopeful. "You all just want me dead, but fine... I call dibs on the best firearms we come across on our journey."

"I'll start checking the map for places we can find firearms and ammunition." Rosita sighed, standing up to grab her map.

"And I'll set up a plan for our trip to Terminus." Abraham offered, but his expression grew serious. "But when all this silly business is done, we head straight to D.C."

"Don't get your hopes up, sergeant." Merle grinned a little, before leaning his head back and closing his eyes. A few of the others gathered to sort out the plans and Merle was considering turning in for the night now. But like earlier, he was stopped by the sound of footsteps before they stopped in front of him. He peeked an eye open to find the sharpshooter.

"I want to talk." Sasha frowned a little. "Maggie will probably talk to you later about it, but I wanted to talk to you first. She won't go easy like I will."

"What the hell are ya talkin' about?" Merle quirked an eyebrow.

"Glenn told us a lot about your journey here... He mentioned the whole ___ thing." That was all Sasha needed to say to get Merle to scowl, as he rose to his feet in annoyance.

"It ain't nothing. I keep tellin' all of them." Merle growled out as he walked to the trunk of the car to grab his stuff. Sasha stopped him though, stepping in front of him.

"Merle, listen. Maggie isn't happy, but I... It made sense when Glenn explained it. You spent so much time with her and you did treat her better than most. The only thing I can't wrap my head around is that... You would want her." Merle heard the emphasize in 'want' and knew what the woman was implying.

"Maybe I don't want her like that." Merle glanced back at Sasha. "Maybe that doesn't matter to me, didya consider that?"

"For a guy like you, no." Sasha folded her arms, narrowing her eyes a little. "Your fling with Emma wasn't exactly a secret."

"Wasn't exactly suppose tah be." Merle stepped closer, leering at Sasha. "But ___ isn't Emma, they're different."

"I hope you're telling the truth." Sasha's expression softened a little, she didn't flinch away from Merle. The redneck was starting to realize that he didn't really scare any of the prison members, not anymore. They had grown used to him, his intimidation and vulgarity. "If it means anything, I think you'd be better for her then that guy who outright rejected her at the prison."

"Yeah, well anyone would be better than that douchebag." Merle scoffed, but backed off and looked back to the truck. "Maybe you'll listen. I don't even know if I love tha' girl like everyone thinks I do. Never had the feelin', never really needed it."

"Love? Love is... Love is that." Sasha pointed over and Merle followed the direction. He saw Glenn and Maggie sitting beside each other, watching a photograph burn in the fire. Merle wasn't connecting the dots and looked back to Sasha.

"A mutual love of arson?"

"You're a real smartass, you know that?" Sasha sighed and shook her head a little. "Love is when you don't care about how you feel, but you care about how they feel. You want them to be happy, but you want them to feel comfortable, safe, alright... That's what love is. Caring for someone more than yourself."

"Never cared 'bout anyone more than myself... 'side from Daryl." Merle frowned a little. "Do want tah find her though. Want tah see her alright."

"That's a start."

~Reader's P.O.V.~

You took a shower, that was a surprise. It was cold and short, but it was a shower nevertheless. You changed into some of the clothes you took from the golf clubhouse and walked through the halls to find Noah. Apparently he cleaned the clothes around here and would manage to clean your old clothes from the prison. He was a miracle worker if he could.

"Hey." You peeked into the make-shift laundry room, where Noah was folding clothes. He gave you a warm smile as he sat the clothes to the side.

"Hey, you're up early." Noah noted as he stepped over. He gingerly took your dirty clothes away from your arms, clearly used to the action.

"It's hard sleeping around here."

"Shouldn't be ashamed of feeling that." Noah gave an empathetic look, before heading to the washing machine. "Maybe day two will be better?"

"Maybe..." You signed, leaning against the door. "Daryl's probably tearing up the whole countryside and he probably doesn't even have a clue..."

"Hopefully he stays around that area. So, at least you can find him, again."

"Yeah..." Your hand twitched a little. You felt so unsafe, walking around a strange area without your weapons. That was all you wanted, was just to have your ice picks strapped to your sides and your father's rifle across your back. Noah must've noticed your unease, because he relaxed as he stepped back over to the laundry he was folding.

"Hey, if you're ever feeling uncomfortable out there, you can always visit me here. No one really bothers with this place. It's quiet and out of the way. I definitely feel better here than other places." Noah offered and you managed to give him a grateful smile.

"Thanks, Noah. I'll keep that in mind." You pushed off the door and stepped out of the room. "I'll have a light breakfast and head straight back. Promise."

You turned and made your way down the hall, heading in the direction of the cafeteria.

The night wasn't easy. You slept in the hospital room that you woke up in and it was hard. Light streamed in through the window from the moon, reflecting off the white walls. It was unbearably bright. The room smelt of cleaning supplies and it was all so... Foreign.

To make it worse, it reminded you of your father. How you would visit him in the hospital he worked at. That familiar ache of missing him returned and you wished he was here. You wish he was here to comfort and lead you, like he had done before.

You missed your cell. Never thought you'd think that, but you did. The dark cell with the cool walls, while you lied on your soft mattress surrounded by a variety of thick blankets. It smelt like sweat usually, unless something was cooked that night, then the smell of elk or fish came with. And you could hear people, hear their breathing and feel better knowing others with you.

The hospital room was eerily quiet.

Your stomach churned and you frowned when you thought of the night that Merle spent with you. When you told him about Terminus and when you couldn't think to be alone that night. He stayed and lied beside you, at one point he even took your hand in his only one. You don't think you ever seen Merle that vulnerable, but he allowed himself to for you. For that one night.

You felt safer with him that close, than any moment you've spent in this place.

You looked up and down the hallway, but froze a little at the sight at the end. You had seen the open elevator shaft yesterday and all the bodies at the bottom, but you were surprised to see the two figures in front of it. Beth stood with the one doctor around and helped him toss a body into the elevator shaft.

"Beth!" You shouted and the younger girl looked over in surprise.

"___?" Beth quickly turned her attention away from the elevator shaft and ran over, embracing you. You weren't expecting that, so you hesitantly held her back. "I thought I was all alone!"

"No, they abducted me, too." You patted the young girl's back, before she pulled away from you in surprise.

"They... They said they found me passed out on the ground."

"You think Daryl or I would just leave you?" You frowned, glancing at the approaching doctor. "This place isn't as good as it looks."

"___, good. Could you take Beth to breakfast? I have work to attend to." Doctor Edwards requested, not having heard your earlier comment.

"I can do that." You looked back to Beth. "Let's go. I can tell you more about this place while we eat."

"That would be helpful, thank you." Beth glanced at the doctor, before following you down the hall. "___, what's going on?"

"I can't say everything out loud. You can come visit Noah with me. He's a good guy and can help us out." You looked to Beth and noticed the fear in her expression. "We aren't staying here. We can both work to get out."

"This all feels like a nightmare..."


	9. Pale Death

"See anything?" Maggie whispered to Merle, as she eyed the strange community warily. Merle frowned, looking over the community. The place used to be a train station and the group put those leftover train carts to good use. The carts were placed around the exterior of the community, creating a wall of sorts, if their fence wasn't enough.

"Looks like the pricks are usin' some of the trains carts as walls." Merle hushed back.

"Some?" Maggie raised an eyebrow. The two along with Sasha and Abraham were knelt in the brush, obscured from the view of Terminus. They had been sitting for about ten minutes now, trying to find signs of anything important from the cannibal haven.

"See the ones in the middle of the area, woman? Side by side?" Merle pointed out.

"Yeah, I see 'em." Maggie looked to where Merle gestured with his bladed arm. "What about them?"

"That's where they keep the survivors." Merle muttered and Maggie looked to him in horror. Merle looked back, his lips set in a straight line. "Like cattle being stored for slaughter. Bunch of bastards deserve to burn in hell..."

"I don't like this." Abraham frowned. "I know you knuckleheads want a full half hour to check this area. But something just isn't sitting right with me about this place..."

"No, we can't leave until we know for sure Tyreese isn't here." Sasha argued, giving Merle a pleading look. "Any sign of him?"

"No, if he is here, he's in one of them train carts. But we can't go stormin' in there." Merle glanced back at Sasha. "Sorry, honey. But we aren't goin' on a suicide mission, just so we can check if your brother isn't here. We ain't stupid."

"Yeah, well you're an ass. He's my brother!"

"Guys, come on. Calm down. Let's just head back and decide there." Maggie suggested, in hopes of calming the situation. Merle's anger was heated and coursed through his veins. He turned fully to face Sasha to rip her a new one, when the sound of multiple footsteps reached his ears. The redneck spun over, his bladed arm held out.

Eight figures stepped out of the woods, surrounding the group. Six men, two women, all armed, though the weapons they held were lowered. A sign of peace, though Merle highly doubted it. A young man stepped forward, looked to be in his late twenties, and had some scruff.

"Hey, we were out hunting and heard the commotion. You survivors, too?" The young man asked.

"..." Merle glanced at the others, before rising to his feet. "Do we look dead tah you?"

"Sorry, just trying to be polite. We like seeing more survivors. Proves the world is thriving." The young man chuckled a little, shuffling his feet. "You looking for a place to stay? We're from that community over there. We're always welcoming newcomers."

"Who's askin'?" Merle narrowed his eyes.

"Almost forgot, sorry to be so rude. I'm Gareth." The young man, Gareth, smiled charmingly. But Merle's blood boiled over as his muscles tensed, recognizing the name. This pussy was the leader of Terminus? The king of the cannibals? The ruler of anthropophagists?

"That's alright, we were just passing through." Maggie tried to excuse the group, her hand lingering to her gun.

"This is awkward..." Gareth rubbed the back of his neck. "You see... I was trying to be friendly, you know? I offered you some refuge and I was hoping you would willingly accept it, but the thing is... You don't get a choice."

"Son of a bitch!" Merle lunged at Gareth, slicing at him. The Dixon's blade slashed through Gareth's face like butter, starting at the top of his left cheek and going down, cutting through both of his lips and ending at his chin. Merle was grabbed by two of the men, his arms being strained as he was pushed to his knees. The redneck wasn't paying attention as the others were quickly restrained, too. The cannibalistic leader gasped and stumbled back, holding his face.

"Shit..." Gareth brought his hand up to look at the thick blood that was pouring from the wound on his face. The young man glared at Merle, his eyes filled with malice. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"I'm Merle f***ing Dixon and guess what, asshole? You better start repentin', because I'm gonna be the one to send you to hell." Merle spat.

"Oh, are you?" Gareth looked amused at this. "What makes you think that, old man?"

"Easy, I was sent here by an Angel." Merle sneered, struggling against the men restraining him. "Pretty little thing, she warned us about you and for her sake, I'm gonna make sure she never has to worry about you, again."

"Well, Merle Dixon. There's one problem with that." Gareth wiped the fresh blood on his shirt, before snapping his fingers. Merle heard some thwacks and a couple grunts, he winced. He knew the others were knocked out. Gareth gave Merle a bored smile. "Maybe your little 'Angel' won't have to worry about me. But you do."

A flash of pain hit Merle across the back of his head and his vision spun, as he slumped forward. The last thing he saw before his vision went black, was Gareth's shoes as they approached closer.

"You know, I prefer eating women. But maybe just for this occasion, I can put aside my preference for some redneck hick... Now that I say that out loud, I'm a bit disgusted. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers."

~Reader's P.O.V.~

You had monitored Beth as she picked out her breakfast, warning her not to take large amounts. After she was satisfied with what she had, she sat down and talked with you. You shared your own awakening story and what little you knew of the hospital. You began to talk about Noah, when suddenly an officer approached the both of you. Strangely, he looked familiar to you.

"You're looking better and better. We had a lead on some guns, so me and my partner were pretty far out. That's when we saw you, wriggling in the road." The officer said to Beth, who looked back in confusion. But his words clicked for you, he had been the other officer who had part in kidnapping you both. You narrowed your eyes, gripping your fork. The officer chuckled at Beth's confusion. "You don't remember me, huh?"

"We were waiting for our friend when everything went black..." Beth admitted.

"You hit her." You spat.

"And you killed my friend." The officer glanced to you, a little anger flitting in his eyes. "So, how's it feel to be a cold-hearted murderer? Bitch."

"Considering it was self-defense, not too bad."

"You're lucky I didn't leave you to the rotters. They were coming when you both were knocked out. I could've left you to be their lunch, but I got you both away." The officer defended, before directing his attention back to Beth. "I'm Gorman. When someone does you a favor, it's a courtesy to show some appreciation."

"Hey, Gorman. Leave them alone." You looked over to see who you recognized as Kyle approach the table, a tray in his hands. He glared at Gorman, but gave you and Beth sympathetic glances.

"This isn't any of your business, McGinley." Gorman growled, but Kyle wasn't phased by his obvious threat.

"Do you want Officer Lerner hearing about this?"

"You're a real prick." Gorman huffed, before giving Beth one more sickening look, before the officer walked away. Kyle watched him go, before looking to you both with a small frown.

"Sorry about that, some of the others think they got some sort of power around here or something." Kyle nodded to the table. "Mind if I sit with you, girls?"

"Please do." Beth urged. Kyle sent her a small, grateful smile as he sat down across from you both. Beth grinned a little back. "You're a real life saver, you know?"

"I just don't like seeing public sexual assault, it's disturbing and doesn't sit right with me." Kyle gestured to Beth. "Especially with minors."

"I'm eighteen." Beth defended.

"You're still a minor compared to that guy." Kyle pointed out and you couldn't help but grow a little self-conscious.

"That guy was a jerk, there's no doubt about that. But does age really matter anymore? Beth can be with a guy, even if he is older." You tried to stand your place, but not reveal why this was important to you.

"If they're old enough to be your dad, than something is wrong." Kyle snorted a little, beginning to dig into his food. Your frowned at his words. Merle was definitely old enough to be your dad, but you didn't see him as that. He was definitely something different.

Though maybe your love for him had dimmed. Not because of your time away from him, though it certainly helped. But more because you knew he couldn't love you. You just were not what he wanted.

"Anyways, thank you, Kyle." You thanked, beginning to scoop up the rice on your tray. You nodded to Beth. "This is my friend, Beth, the one who got dragged into this mess with me."

"It's nice to meet you, Beth." Kyle gave her a polite smile and Beth looked down sheepishly. "I've heard about you from ___, all good things."

"That's good to hear." Beth cleared her throat, before looking back up to Kyle. "Thank you, again."

"Don't mention it. It's the least a fellow can do."

"I'm not busy this afternoon, anyway I can repay you?" You offered.

"Actually I could use some help. I have to take look-out on the roof, having some company up there would help a lot. But only if you would like to join me." Kyle added at the end.

"Some fresh air? Yes, please." You allowed yourself to smile a little. "Thanks, Kyle."

You three chatted mindlessly for the next ten minutes as you and Beth finished up breakfast. You said your farewells to Kyle, before heading back out into the hall. You were leading Beth to where Noah was, when the younger girl grabbed your wrist and looked up at you excitedly.

"Oh my gosh! ___! Did you see that?" Beth exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?" You raised an eyebrow, completely confused by her behavior. Was she feeling alright?

"Kyle! I mean, he's super nice and totally protected us from that other guy. But did you see the way he looked at you?" Beth swooned a little. "And the way he talked to you, too! ___, you're so lucky to have a handsome guy looking at you that way. And now you get to spend the afternoon with him alone on the rooftop. Lucky!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Beth, you think that... That Kyle likes me?" You asked, absolutely incredulous at the accusation.

"Anyone can see that he likes you." Beth snorted a little.

"But I've known him for a day. I barely know anything about the guy."

"I'm not saying the guy is madly in love with you, I'm just saying that he might have a small interest in you. Like a crush." Beth patted your arm. "He seems like a really sweet guy. The best I've seen around here, yet."

"He's just... Not my kind of guy."

"And who's your kind of guy?" Beth raised an eyebrow.

"..." You looked to the polished floor underneath your feet, frowning slightly. "An honest guy, who isn't afraid to say his own opinion, and who's passionate about the things he cares about."

"Sometimes being honest all the time can hurt people."

"I rather get insulted than be lied to." You shook your head. "Let's go check up on Noah, I think you'll like him."

~

A flash of knives.

The tearing of skin.

Muscles being ripped apart.

Mouths feeding on men.

You felt someone tug your hair and force you to face the horror in front of you. Tears stream down your face as the people's screams are cut short with a knife to their throat. You watch human beings become animals, monsters, right before your eyes. You feel sick.

Your mother is always seen in these dreams and it's horrific. But this one is different. This one is new. Alex still holds onto your hair as you watch the damage done to your mother, but Gareth finishes up, licking the blood off his fingers.

"I'm still not satisfied..." Gareth looks to you and smirks, reaching out and pinching your cheek. You flinch away, disgusted at the man's hands. He may be a human, but he was a beast in disguise. He laughed and looked to Alex who was holding onto you. "What do you say? Who should we feed on next?"

"How about that new one? Freshly caught." Alex hissed in your ear and you lowered your head, before your hair was tugged up, again.

"Not you, peach." Gareth's smirk only widened, before he suddenly dragged up someone from the darkened walls of the room. Your heart lept up in your throat as Merle was brought into the light. He was struggling in Gareth's grip, but his words were muffled from the gag around his mouth and his movements were sluggish from his tied arms. You desperately fought against Alex who held you back as you tried to reach out to Merle.

"No! No! Please! Don't hurt him!" You begged, a wave of tears breaking behind your eyes. It seemed the more you reached out to Merle, the farther back you were pulled. Merle didn't seem to hear you, since he didn't acknowledge your existence as you screamed and shouted. He curling hair was matted with blood and bruises were clear across his face, having been beaten.

"You know, when you fought for your mother, I understood. Blood is strong and important. But this?" Gareth glanced down at Merle in disgust as he brought up his knife to his neck. "This IS just a sack of meat. He's dirty, old and better off dead."

"You're wrong! He's so much more than that!" You gave up your struggles as Merle finally seemed to notice you there. His ice blue eyes met yours and seemed to be saying something to you with them. "He's my friend and... He's the last person I have in all this mess."

"You're wrong." Gareth stated coldly as you looked back to cruel, evil man. He stared blankly back at you. Those eyes must've held light at one point, but they were clouded over with hunger. The eyes of an animal who only relied on instincts now. "You have no one now."

He sliced through Merle's throat with ease and you let out a piercing scream.

~

You gasped, sitting up in your hospital bed. You looked around the pristine room and let out a relieved sigh. Okay, maybe it wasn't complete relief, but you were glad that nightmare was just that. A nightmare.

You lied back on the thin mattress, closing your eyes but not falling back into slumber. You knew if you did, you could end up back in the nightmare. So, you decided to think back on your uneventful day yesterday. Nothing happened in the hospital, just more learning and settling down with Beth.

You thought back to the day before that and the evening you spent with Kyle on the roof. Nothing too exciting happened, just watching walkers go by and police men go about their routine. The fresh air was nice and Kyle was a good conversationalist. But Beth's words rung in your head and you did pick up on Kyle's motives.

He sent you subtle compliments here and there, probably in hopes that you wouldn't see them. Once or twice, he rested a hand on your shoulder or on top of your hand that rested on your leg. He tried one nickname, but he discarded it as soon as he used it. Funny how he couldn't manage one, but Merle could manage four.

Darlin'.

Sweet Cheeks.

Sugah.

And Angel.

You smiled at the thought and the fear that was flooding your veins, receded. Merle was still out there, you could feel it. Maybe you were just crazy, but it felt like he was calling to you. His raspy voice calling you and your silly nicknames, telling you to be patient. You'd find him, again.

A fog settled over your mind and you fell into a dreamless sleep.

~Merle's P.O.V.~

When Merle regained consciousness, he wasn't sure if he was dead. All he could see was complete darkness, not a single trace of light. He thought maybe he fell into purgatory, but then he moved. His body groaned in pain, but he couldn't feel any serious injuries. Just bruises.

Merle adjusted to the dark room and was able to make out a door against one wall where slivers of light managed to get through. He felt that his left hand was zip-tied to a rusted pole and he began to feel sick. Visions of his time on the rooftop came back and he prayed he didn't have to cut off his other hand. He brought up his stump to his hand and felt the absence of his bayonet.

"Shit." He cursed. Those cannibals took his best defense. Merle felt with his stump for his pistol or rifle, but all his weapons were taken and gone. The redneck slumped over in defeat, but felt a weight shift in his left pocket. He tried to think on what it could be and perked up.

The girl's derringer. It was small enough they hadn't noticed to take it. This was Merle's best chance of getting out of this place.

As if to read his thoughts, he heard the door click and swing open as the head cannibal stepped in. Gareth smirked at Merle as he stepped in, holding a lantern. He set the lantern to the side and Merle looked about the room. It was clear and empty with no windows, but their was dried blood smears all around the wall and floor. Even the pole he was chained to was caked in dried blood.

"Cozy?" Gareth asked, as he closed the door behind him.

"Love the new look. Give my compliments to the man who did yer face." Merle countered, blatantly mentioning the cut he gave to Gareth. The cannibal touched his flesh wound in irritation, but continued calmly.

"Wondering where your friends are?" Gareth eyed Merle, as he stepped closer.

"Hasn't crossed mah mind. Been a little too busy tryin' to figure out where I am." Merle leaned back against the wall behind him. "Hell is startin' tah look pretty good right now."

"Don't worry, you'll be able to go there soon." Gareth huffed in amusement, as he glanced down at the lantern. "See. I was curious. You act as if you know me. You mentioned that someone told you about this place."

"So what?"

"It's just funny, most people that leave here wouldn't share that information." Gareth locked his gaze with Merle and narrowed his eyes. Merle looked back, slightly disturbed by the emptiness in the man's eyes. It was even worse than the Governor. "Who was the one who told you about this place?"

"Don't matter, y'all will never see her, again."

"Then what's the harm in telling me who it was?" Gareth argued. Merle set his mouth in a line and glared at the cannibal. Gareth stared back with an even gaze, before recognition seemed to appear in him for a brief moment. "There was a younger girl here once... She escaped with her father..."

Merle remained silent as Gareth began to pace the room, recalling ___. Merle's blood only boiled at the words.

"___. I remember her now. She was a very beautiful girl." Gareth smiled widely as he ran a hand through his hair. "Before the end of the world, I would've even considered dating her. Funny, too. Had big dreams of climbing mountains, yes?"

Merle just continued to glare, his one fist clenching.

"But things are different nowadays and well... As pretty as she was. She looked better on my dinner plate." Gareth received a snarl from Merle with that one. The cannibal only laughed as he fully faced Merle. "Don't tell me you genuinely care about her! I KNOW your kind of people."

"How are mah people then, asshole?" Merle spat.

"You don't love anyone but yourselves. You go into places and you take everything you need, rape those who are weaker than you, and move on without looking back." Gareth stepped closer, before kneeling down in front of Merle to level with him. "You think I'm a monster... But to survive, everyone has to become a monster."

"I don't eat people like an animal."

"But you kill them. Is eating them any worse?"

"I don't lure them in tah gun 'em down."

"Make all the excuses you want, but there are no people anymore. Not even your 'little angel'." Gareth quirked up the corner of his lip as he glanced over Merle. "If she's with your group, I guess she could be dessert. Though considering your... Girth, I don't know if I'll have room for dessert. Best to save her for later."

"Y'all will never find her, again." Merle spat in Gareth's face. "She's long gone 'n she'll never have tah see yer ugly-ass face ever, again."

"If that's the case, she's good as dead." Gareth wiped off the spit in disgust, shooting Merle a harsh scowl. "You'll never be seeing her, again, either."

"As long as she's away from you, good." Merle huffed, when suddenly loud rumbles came through the door. Both men looked over in surprise, but Merle seeing the cannibal's shock began to laugh. "Oh? That not yer men? Sounds like hell out there."

"Shut up." Gareth snarled and went to stand up.

"You're a pussy, ya know? You turned tah cannibalism because you were afraid." Merle mocked and grinned inwardly when the cannibal leader knelt back down, fuming at the redneck.

"And what am I scared of?" Gareth asked, as Merle shifted his body upwards a little.

"Death." Merle swiftly reached in his pocket for the derringer and swung it out. Gareth made a look of surprise, as Merle fired into his chest. Fourth shot. The cannibal choked for a moment, before slumping over and bleeding out. Merle would need to work fast, before the prick could turn.

Merle stuck a leg out and kicked the body further away from himself before looking to the zip-tie that held his hand. He shifted the position of his hand and found that turning his palm towards the pole allowed more room in the zip-tie. Merle grinned as he carefully shimmied his hand out of the zip-tie hold. After a good couple minutes of maneuvering his hand, he was free and got to his feet.

The gunfire from outside was still going and Merle knew the place was going down. He sent regards to whoever was bringing fire down on the place. Probably a group of armed men. Merle heard a groan and glanced down at the dead cannibal.

The monster was already turning and beginning to shift, but Merle was having none of that. Merle hardened his face as he stomped the man's head in. Merle knew the man needed to die, but he felt sick knowing it was easy to crush his head like a pumpkin.

When did Merle grow so sensitive? Guess it had been a while since he killed groups of men weekly with no remorse.

Merle searched the man's body, finding some keys, a knife, and a walkie-talkie. He would do with what he could. He stuffed the items away, along with the derringer, before unlocking the door and stepping out into the fray. The halls were dark and Merle could barely see through it, but he heard gunfire down the hall. He decided the other way would be a safer option.

He hurried away from the conflict and tried to sort out what to do. Find what remained of his group, gather weapons, find his bayonet, and get out. He didn't care what order those objectives came in, but he'd try to get them all done. Merle withdrew his stolen knife and began to quietly make his way down the halls.


	10. It's a Different World

Merle was traveling down the hallways and wasn't getting anywhere. He still wasn't sure exactly where he was, though he did find a set of stairs and made his way to the ground floor. He did have to put down a young man who charged at him, but he didn't see a face, so he didn't feel too bad about it.

He was about to enter a room, but heard the familiar sounds of groans from walkers. He backed off from the the door with a frown, when he caught sight of a figure who flitted away at the end of the hallway. They didn't make a sign of seeing him, so Merle quietly made his way over. He clutched the knife tightly in his hand as he looked around the corner. The figure was moving quietly, too, and had a tarp draped over them covered in biter guts.

Merle moved forward and raised his knife, but the figure quickly spun around and pointed the barrel of a gun at his face. They both froze as Merle found himself looking into the face of a women with blood smeared across her face. Her eyes widened and she lowered the gun.

"Merle?" The redneck would recognize that gentle voice from anywhere.

"Carol?" Merle examined her face, but was quick to recognize her greying hair and her bright blue eyes. She surprisingly looked younger, but perhaps that's because at the moment she was fired up. "Damn. Didn't realize that mah brother was into badasses."

"Enough joking around. I was worried when I found it, but..." Carol brought an arm under her tarp, before pulling out the familiar bayonet. Merle grinned, before slipping away the knife and taking the bayonet. He pulled on the gauntlet and strapped the bayonet on, swinging it in reflex. Merle whistled and grinned at Carol.

"I would kiss ya right now, but I don't want tah risk that Walker shit on yer face." Merle went to grab the knife, but Carol was quick and pushed a pistol into his one hand.

"I'll need all the back-up I can get. This place is going down fast and we need to get out." Carol turned and continued on her path, as Merle followed close behind.

"The others are here."

"I know, I have your brother's bow."

"Daryl is here?!" Merle exclaimed, a sudden thrill going through him. His baby brother was alright! Thank god. Merle would have to give some praise to the man upstairs later.

"And he's alive." Merle heard the smile in the woman's voice. "I'm hoping they got out during this commotion."

"I guess we're about tah see." The two continued on in silence. Carol would fire upon anyone who came into her line of sight and Merle always checked the surroundings, gunning down anyone who came up from the sides or behind. Soon enough, Carol pushed some doors to the outside and the two stepped into the light. Merle took in a breath of fresh air, though was irritated to find it still smelt like rotting meat and gunpowder outside.

"Keep your head down and follow close." Carol ordered and Merle didn't argue. He was starting to get scared of this woman. She did threaten him once. They both disappeared into the forest as Terminus burned behind them.

~Reader's P.O.V.~

You stepped over to Beth's room with her and she stepped over to her bed, pulling back the covers. She frowned and began to search around as you folded your arms. She said she wanted to grab something before heading to the rooftop with you. Footsteps reached your ears and you looked over as the officer you remember as Gorman showed up. You scowled at him as he twirled a lollipop in his mouth.

"What are you doing here, bitch?" Gorman asked you, as you stepped in front of Beth's direction.

"At the moment, making sure Beth doesn't have to worry about guys like you." You snapped back. Gorman sneered before roughly pushing you to the side. You stumbled and looked to him incredulous, as he got up close to Beth.

"Lose something? This is yours, ain't it?" Gorman pulled the lollipop out of his mouth and hummed as he neared it to Beth's face. "Sour apple. Like the kind Dawn acquired from pediatrics. Suppose you could have a taste. See if it rings any bells."

"I don't want it." Beth calmly retorted back.

"Oh, come on, now. I just want to be sure I'm returning this to its rightful owner." Gorman laughed and you decided to intervene. You pushed Gorman away and he clattered into the cabinets in surprise. Beth stepped back in fear as you flared up at the man.

“How about you stay away from her, prick?” You growled. Gorman scowled at you and began to storm your way. You held your stance, when a familiar figure appeared in the doorway.

“Leave her alone.” Dr. Edwards ordered, but Gorman barely gave him a glance.

“The girl should have been mine.” Gorman stated and now you were confused. What was he talking about? Was he implying Beth? He didn’t really motion toward her.

“Nobody's yours, Gorman. Nobody. And if you think you're getting Joan back-”

“Oh, I'm gonna get her back. You think Dawn's gonna stop me?” Gorman cut off Dr. Edwards, giving a huff of amusement.

“I will.”

“You stepping up, Doc?”

“What happens when you get sick, Gorman? When you get an infection? When you get bit?” Gorman threatened and you even felt yourself shiver at that one. He was the guy who could save you or let you die. That’s quite a bit of power.

“I think there's gonna be somebody. Somebody who ain't you.” Gorman hummed, giving his own threatening look back.

“Who knows when you might be in danger, Gorman.” You cut in, receiving a heated glare from the man. Just then, Dawn stepped into the doorway entrance, her usual cold expression on.

“Gorman.” She didn’t say anything more, having gotten her point across.

“And maybe somebody in charge who ain't her.” Gorman grinded his teeth before stomping out after Dawn. The cold woman gave you all one more glance before following after him. Beth exhaled, her shoulders shaking with a shudder as she looks to Dr. Edwards.

“Why do you stay? You could leave whenever you want. Why do you stay here?” She asked. Dr. Edwards glanced at you before gesturing Beth to follow. She looked to you, but you just nodded at her to go. Beth was easily afraid, but she could definitely handle Dr. Edwards. She left with him as you glanced out the window to see what time it could be.

“I guess I could go help out Kyle…” You mumbled, stepping out of Beth’s room and closing it behind you.

~Merle’s P.O.V.~

Carol had long since ditched the tarp and washed off the grime. Merle cleaned off what blood he had on him when they reached that stream. But they were quickly off.

Merle was impressed when he saw Carol was able to find tracks and follow them. No doubt his brother had taught her that trick and Merle felt a sense of pride fill him. He was always joking around Daryl’s relationship with Carol, but he always saw it as fluff. Made his brother soft. But he never really got to see this side of it.

Maybe his brother did get more open around this woman, but it was clear that Daryl made Carol stronger.

“I didn’t thank ya back there.” Merle spoke up.

“I wasn’t expecting one from you.” Carol admitted.

“I wasn’t plannin’ on one, but…” Merle trailed off and Carol glanced back at him. Merle cleared his throat and met her gaze. “You care about him, right?”

“... He’s my best friend.” Carol smiled softly and Merle recognize that motherly woman better. “He’s part of the reason I keep going.”

“Yeah, but do ya care ‘bout him… that way?”

“Merle, I’m too old for that.” Carol frowned at this, but she sighed and brushed a hand through her hair. “I love him, with all my heart, but I can’t give him that.”

“He won’t mind.” Merle smirked and walked up to stand in front of Carol. She was still a small woman, but seeing what she could do now, Merle knew not to underestimate her.

“What do you mean by that?” Carol quirked up an eyebrow.

“Boy’s an asexual.” Merle answered simply. “I hadn’t ever seen him hug someone till you. Ya must be special.”

“I’m not.” Carol offered a small smile. “More people just need to give him the chance.”

Merle merely smiled a more genuine smile for the moment. He reached up and gripped Carol’s shoulder. She looked wary for a moment, but he saw the icy fire in her eyes. She wasn’t a scared, little woman anymore. He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, before releasing it and taking the lead.

They continued through the forest, following the tracks, when finally Merle saw them in the distance. He could make out his brother, the farmer’s daughter, horse lips, Abraham, and even Officer Friendly, his son, and the mute. Almost everyone. Almost.

Carol froze right beside him and he saw her hesitation. Merle nudged her forward and she looked to him with confusion. He nodded her to go ahead. She gave him a grateful look, before stepping forward to the others.

The first one to see her, of course, was his brother. Daryl just about sprinted to her, pulling her into his arms and swinging her around. Carol laughed as she clung onto the redneck, Daryl pressing his face into the crook of her neck. Merle smirked at the action as he slowly stepped forward for the others to see him.

Rick saw him first and offered him a nod which Merle returned. Abraham saw him next and came over clapping him on the shoulder. He didn’t say anything, but Merle knew he was glad to see he was alive. That would be the first in a long time.

Daryl was still holding on tightly to Carol, though he did pull away to look at her for a moment. She ran a hand through his hair, using her other to cup his cheek. Daryl bowed his head and pressed it against her shoulder, but finally ended up releasing her. Rick stepped forward to Carol as Daryl noticed Merle.

“Did you do that?” Rick asked Carol who smile and nodded. Rick laughed and embraced her this time as Daryl stepped over to Merle. The younger brother was rubbing at his eyes, but Merle gestured him to stop. Daryl gave him a confused glance.

“It’s a different world, Darylina. No need tah hide those tears.” Merle waved off Daryl’s confusion, as the two glanced back to Carol. “They’re for yer woman, so they’re excused.”

Daryl didn’t look convinced, but did allow his fresh tears to fall. 

“You have to come with me.” Carol announced, beginning to lead the group through the forest. The Dixons walked alongside each other and after a long moment of silence, Daryl placed a hand on Merle’s shoulder.

“She’s alive. ___’s alive.” Daryl stated. Merle looked to his brother in surprise, but didn’t say anything. Did he realize that he was a bit forlorn not seeing her here? Or maybe Daryl felt he needed to say it.

~Reader’s P.O.V.~

“So, you’ve really not been outside of this city since the start of the apocalypse?” You asked, looking to Kyle in curiosity. The man near your age smiled and leaned back in his chair, looking out to the city.

“It’s too dangerous to go out into the world now.” He noted.

“I’ve been all over since this started.” You admitted. “Was on the road for most of it, I stayed at a prison for a long time, but things went downhill.”

“A prison? You must have went insane.”

“Sometimes I felt like I would, but…” You smiled, your thoughts drifting to Merle. You thought of his visits to your cell or when you had dinner together or when you went outside of the prison walls with him. “I had someone keep my mind out of dreariness of the place.”

“A miracle worker, huh? Like a best friend?”

“Exactly. He was always there from the start.” Your smile brightened. “Sometimes I felt like nothing… but he would always be there to make me laugh, again.”

“He?”

“Yeah, he was a guy.” You raised an eyebrow. “Is that weird to you?”

“No, no. It’s just… You must miss him.”

“I do.” You admitted.

“What was he like?” Kyle asked, seeming more curious about the subject.

“Merle? He was crazy.” You laughed as you tried to think of the best way to describe him. “He’s hilarious, but really racist and sexist. He’s loyal and would do anything for his brother. He’s vulgar and don’t even get me started with his alcohol and drug habits. But despite all that, he was kind to me… and it meant the world.”

“Huh. Racist, sexist, vulgar, alcoholic, and a druggie? He sounds like a real charmer, ___.” Kyle spoke dryly, but you took his comment as a joke and laughed.

“He had his own charm, despite his age.”

“His age?!”

“Oh, yeah. He’s gotta be twenty-five years older than me.”

“He could be your father.”

“You make it sound like you’re jealous.” You finally jabbed, catching Kyle off-guard.

“You never said anything about liking this man… unless you do?” Kyle avoided your accusation, sending one your way instead.

“Maybe I do.” This seemed to surprise him more, as he sat up straight and looked to you incredulous.

“He’s dead, ___.”

“And how would you know?” You asked, offended with his accusation.

“When was the last time you saw him?”

“A week ago!” You exclaimed, standing up from your seat. “He would not get himself killed within a week. He’s stronger than that.”

“A man alone can’t survive out in that.” Kyle pointed to the city filled with walkers below.

“Merle could.” You stared hard at Kyle. “Merle cut off his own hand and fought off the dead, alone, just to find his brother, all while escaping death. You’re too scared to step out of a city.”

Kyle frowned at this, but didn’t respond. He instead sat back in his chair and looked back out to the city. You watched him for a moment, before heading back to the doors leading back into the building. Maybe it was childish to fight about such a thing, but you weren’t going to let yourself think that Merle could be gone.

He couldn’t be.

~Merle’s P.O.V.~

Night was beginning to fall and the group had fully regrouped. Merle found the other half of his party, the sharpshooter reunited with her brother, and Officer Friendly was reunited with his daughter. Whoop-di-doo. They now had two trucks to travel in, courtesy of Rosita and Bob who had found the other while out searching for supplies.

The group made a small camp between the vehicles and rested after the long two days.

“Two days?!” Merle hissed as Abraham had told him the circumstances. “I was out for two days?!”

“They hit you pretty hard in the head.” Abraham admitted. “We were shoved into train carts like slabs of meat.”

“At least you weren’t chained to a damn pole…” Merle mumbled.

Now, Merle was seated by the main fire, but noticed his brother and Carol stepping over to a log at the outskirts of the camp. No doubt for personal time together. Merle recalled the stuff he got back for Daryl and decided now was a good time to give it back.

After retrieving a bag from the truck he'd been traveling in, Merle stepped over and stopped Carol on her way to sitting with Daryl. She looked confused at Merle for a moment, as he rifled through the bag before pulling out her familiar headscarf. She gasped and looked at Merle curiously.

"Where did you get that?" She asked.

"Little Brother's nest." Merle gestured over to Daryl as Carol took her headscarf back. "He must've found it 'n kept it tah himself."

"I lost it while getting chased by walkers in the tombs..." Carol explained before giving Merle a thankful look. "Thank you for returning it to me. But why not give it back to your brother if he had it?"

"I said I'd give it back tah whoever I saw first." Merle lightly elbowed the woman. "I saw ya first."

"I guess you did..." Carol placed a hand on Merle's shoulder and leaned forward to press a kiss against his cheek in thanks. Merle gave her a suggestive look as she pulled away, but she only snorted. He wasn't serious. He knew how much his brother cared about this woman. Merle held out the bag to her.

"This is the rest of that pussy's stuff. Mind givin' it tah him fer me?"

"Of course." Carol took the offered bag and nodded to Merle, before turning around and heading back towards Daryl.

The other redneck had watched the event and sent Merle a warning look. Merle rolled his eyes and made his way back to the main campsite. Maybe if he was lucky, his choices would finally trigger their relationship.

~Reader's P.O.V.~

"You killed a guy?!" You asked incredulous, looking at Beth with wide eyes.

"I didn't mean to!" She hurriedly defended.

"And that-that she-witch ordered for this to happen to you?!" You pointed to Noah who had a black-eye and a couple bruises across his form. He was clearly beaten and your blood boiled to an extreme heat in anger.

"It's not the first time and it's not as bad as it looks. I took painkillers." Noah gently rubbed around his black eye which had swollen slightly. You frowned, not satisfied with that answer.

"Dawn needed Trevitt for something." Beth began, looking to the ground with a pondering look. "I know that's what that was about. Screwed-up thing is, she's trapped, too."

"We're not trapped." Noah announced and you remembered his brief mention of an escape from this place.

"We're going with you." You stated and Beth nodded in agreement.

"Basement's the fastest way out. Any noise and we got rotters." Noah explained a small smile growing on his face.

"So we won't make noise." Beth looked to you a light of confidence coming to her eyes. She thought you all could do it. If "Miss. Pessimistic" thought that, it must be true.

"I can keep an eye on Dawn." Noah offered. "She keeps a spare key to the elevator banks somewhere in her office. Think you can find it?"

"Yeah." Beth paused, before directing her question at you. "Want to watch my back? Be a look out in case anyone comes by?"

"No problem." You smiled a little as the plan began to formulate.

~Merle's P.O.V.~

Merle stepped through the woods, a couple of rabbits strung across his shoulders. Along his brother's shoulders were about a dozen squirrels. Merle would never understand his brother's habit of catching them. They quietly stepped through the forest, Daryl holding his crossbow and now Merle hooked up with a silencer on a pistol.

"Where did ya get this?" Merle had asked as Carol handed him the silencer to add to his pistol.

"Those... Things had a huge thing of weapons. When I saw your bayonet, I thought you might want one of these, too." Carol rubbed her arm and let out a sigh. "I thought it might help with the hunting you're planning on doing."

"Hell yeah, it will." Merle clutched the silencer. Carol offered to help click it into place and as she did, Merle decided to ask an innocent question. "Ya keepin' mah brother warm at night?"

"No, that's not where are relationship is going." A small grin began to grow on Carol's face as she handed the pistol back. "But it is going."

"Mah brother is gonna die a virgin... I should've saw it comin'." But Merle couldn't help the growing of his grin. His brother was really gonna be with a woman. Finally. He was proud, but still hopeful maybe things could get steamy. His brother really needed to get laid.

Merle halted in his steps as he raised up his pistol, aiming it at a fox that stood in the woods. He aimed it at the fox's chest, before pulling the trigger. Click. The fox dropped to the ground, dead. Merle stepped over to grab his kill.

"Yer woman sure knows what gifts to give a man." Merle whistled lightly as he removed any remnants of a bullet and strung up the fox. Daryl rolled his eyes as he quietly stepped forward, his crossbow always at the ready.

"Why'd ya give her the scarf?" Daryl asked softly as they continued silently through the woods.

"She deserved it. Were ya plannin' on never givin' it back?" Merle asked and Daryl averted his gaze down. "'Sides, it showed ya cared 'bout her. She seems to 'preciate the sentiment."

"Yeah... I guess it did." Daryl set his mouth in a flatline as he gave Merle a serious look. "But no more meddlin'."

"Fine, fine... Unless it's tah help y'all out." Merle let out a small cackle as Daryl groaned slightly in annoyance.


	11. Aiding the Father

"Help! Help, anybody! Help!" Everyone stopped to listen as the shouts echoed through the forest. Someone was clearly in need of aid. Merle didn't like the sound of it. They finally had a group where everyone trusted each other, why would anyone want to tamper that?

"Dad, come on." The sheriff's boy rushed towards the shouts as Rick quickly followed after him. Merle groaned. Of course a Grimes would think it was an okay idea. The rest of the group followed, the sounds of a man screaming increasing in volume.

"This better not be a damn trap..." Merle grumbled and Daryl grunted. Merle knew his brother was open to new survivors joining, but only if he got a good read on them. If Merle knew anything about his brother, he knew he had a good sense of judgement. The group passed a grouping of trees to find a man standing up on a tall tree stump to avoid a couple walkers.

"Come on! Come on. Anyone, help! Help!" The man shouted. A walker reached up and tried to grab at the man's ankles. The man stumbled across the stump, his hands up and his expression in absolute fear. "Help! Help! Help! Anybody, help!"

Officer Friendly strides up and gunned down both walkers with ease. The man jumped in surprise as he looked to the large group. Merle examined the man and snorted in realization. A pastor. A black one just to add to it.

"Whoa! Whoa!" The man exclaimed as he eyed the group warily. Rick quickly glanced about the area for more walkers before nodding to the others.

"We're clear. Keep watch." Rick ordered the group, a couple of the others dispersed to keep watch around the area. Rick turn to look at the pastor. He gestured for him to step down. "Come on down. You okay?"

The pastor shakily got down from the stump, before promptly throwing up to the side. Everyone grimaced and Merle scoffed.

"Oh, Father. Yah must be a sign from God." Merle remarked as a couple of the others shot him a look. "Hey, I'm Catholic. I still believe, but I'm not gonna talk through my ass and say I believe in this mackerel snapper."

"Sorry." The pastor apologized after he finished and straightened up. He looked across everyone with slight hesitance, but offered a small smile. "Thank you. I'm Gabriel."

"Do you have any weapons on you?" The sheriff asked.

"Do I look like I would have any weapons?" The pastor, Gabriel, chuckled lightly.

"We don't give two short 'n curlies what it looks like." Abraham barked.

"I have no weapons of any kind." Gabriel quickly answered, looking at the group in intimidation. "The word of God is the only protection I need."

"Sure didn't look like it." Daryl huffed, eyeing the man with slight suspicion.

"I called for help. Help came." Gabriel shrugged slightly, a thankful smile coming to his face. He hesitated, before continuing. "Do you h-have any food? Whatever I-I had left, it just hit the ground."

"We've got some pecans." Carl dug around in his pockets, before pulling out a bag of pecans. Only a handful remained.

"Thank you." Gabriel took it gratefully, immediately diving into the nuts. Merle gritted his teeth in frustration and looked to Daryl. His brother looked back and sent him an unsure look. Daryl must've felt something off about the guy, too.

"Keep an eye out." Merle hushly stated to Daryl, who nodded in understanding. Carol was holding the baby and rocking her lightly, when the baby began to coo slightly. Gabriel looked over in surprise before a bright smile lit his face.

"That's a beautiful child."

"Do you have a camp?" Rick dismissed the compliment and began to interrogate the pastor. Gabriel looked confused and Rick continued to press. "Do you?"

"I have a church."

"Hold your hands above your head." Rick ordered, raising up his pistol. Gabriel stuffed away the pecans and quickly raised up his hands. Merle knew what was going down and decided to go check the surroundings. He stepped off as Rick began his interrogation. "How many walkers have you killed?"

Merle was going to go scout the perimeter, but he was tempted to hop on his bike. After his brother brought it up to him and Merle saw it in great condition, he about hopped on and rode off. He traced his one hand across the leather seat and looked to Daryl.

"Yah grabbed her when the prison was goin' up in flames?" He asked.

"No, ___ did." Daryl answered and this caused Merle to frown, looking back down to the bike.

"Mind if I join you?" Merle looked over to see the mute step up to him. Mute really wasn't the right word anymore. The woman didn't speak a lot, but she did speak.

"How could I say no to a badass sword like that?" Merle gestured to the katana strapped to her back. She gave a small, unamused smile as they both quietly stepped into the forested area. A couple of walkers were stumbling in the distance and Merle stepped over with a grin. He quickly stabbed one in the head as Michonne dispatched the other's head off its shoulders. Merle laughed as he flicked away the blood.

"Miss this?" Michonne asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I hate these sons of bitches, but it's nice tah put down a couple guys tah let off some steam." Merle exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Guess it reminds me that I'm alive."

"Hm... Reminds me that everyone I love is dead." Wow, what a downer. Merle glanced at the woman, who looked slightly troubled.

"That ain't right. Yeah, Andrea is gone 'n maybe yer family, but how 'bout the sheriff? Aren't you buddy-buddy with him now?" Merle pointed out and Michonne allowed an easy smile to come to her face.

"Yeah... Sometimes his head isn't on straight... But sometimes mine isn't either."

"So, yah keep each other in line. How about his kid? Yah seem tah like him. I can barely stand the munchkin." Merle rolled his eyes at the thought of the younger Grimes. He was too big for his breeches. All bark, but no bite.

"Carl's a good kid." Michonne nodded.

"And even the baby. I never took yah for the type of person tah like those."

"I had two, but lost them when this all happened." Michonne admitted, as Merle looked to her surprised. He had lost his brother at some point in the apocalypse and he couldn't imagine giving up on the search for him. But this woman, this mother, was here trying to survive with a bunch of strangers. Her kids could be out there still and it's almost been a year and a half.

"Damn... No wonder yah were so cold at first."

"I hope my girls are alright... Or somewhere better. But right now, I'm gonna make sure those two kids have a mother to look to." Michonne offered a warm smile and Merle felt his view of her make a complete one-eighty.

"... I don't know how you do it."

"Do what?"

"Stop yerself from findin' them." Merle chewed on one of his nails on his remaining hand. "If I had a kid... Hell, I do it with mah brother. But I'd tear up the land 'n gun down anyone who got in mah way tah find them."

"It's a big world, Merle, and after a while..." Michonne sighed, looking to the katana in her hands. "Sometimes you just need to surrender to survive."

"I can't survive without mah brother." Merle stated.

"What if one day you have to?" Michonne quirked an eyebrow. Merle sent her a warning look, but she held up a hand in response.

"Daryl's a strong man and I don't doubt he can't survive, but what if he didn't? What would you do?" Michonne asked, again.

"No one else can stand Merle in this world." Merle huffed and looked up into the treetops. He watched the sunlight filter through in trickles.

"Four months ago, I would've agreed." Merle looked to Michonne to continue. She offered him a reassuring glance. "A lot has changed in four months, Merle Dixon."

"..."

"You gonna keep looking for her?"

"..." Merle stared hard at Michonne, before turning and making his way deeper into the forest. "I ain't gonna give up... I won't."

~Reader's P.O.V.~

Your blood pressure must be off the wall at the moment. While Noah went to distract Dawn, you and Beth had snuck into her office. You found Joan dead on the ground and she left a crude message in the ground for Dawn. You dismissed the body and went through Dawn's drawers, finding your ice picks, your father's rifle, and Beth's hunting knife which you promptly returned to her.

After you hooked your picks to your sides and slung your rifle across your shoulder, you stayed at lookout at the office door. Beth looked for Dawn's key and everything seemed fine, until suddenly you saw Gorman stepped down the hall. You warned Beth, who ducked down to hide herself. You positioned yourself behind the door as Gorman stepped into the office.

"Beth. I know you're in here." Gorman called out as the door clicked shut behind him. As he stepped away from the door, you stepped in front of it and held up your father's rifle. You clicked off the safety and Gorman stiffened.

"Don't make any trouble or I'll gladly put a bullet into your head." You threatened.

"You're a dumbass if you think you scare me, bitch." Gorman growled as he turned to look at you. "If you shoot me, everyone will hear and there's no way you can get out of here. Be smart, compromise with me."

"You're the idiot if you think I was gonna waste a bullet on you." Gorman gave you a confused look, before you moved forward and slammed the butt of your gun into his stomach.

He reeled backwards, tumbling over the desk and right onto Joan's body. The Walker form reacted and grabbed him, biting into his shoulder. He screamed in pain, as Beth quickly stood up and hurriedly looked through the drawers. You stepped over and hesitated, before slamming your pick into Gorman's chest. He gasped and his eyes dimmed, before he fell limp.

He'd turn soon.

"I got it." Beth announced as she stood up with you, showing off the key. You both rushed to the door, Beth slipping the key into her pocket. She stepped out with you, but when you turned the corner, you both spotted Noah and Dawn there. Beth pushed you to the other end of the hall. "She can't see you with all that! Head to the elevator shaft, Noah and I will meet you there."

"Alright." You nodded and rushed down the hall in the direction of the elevator. You peeked around corners to make sure no one saw you coming, until finally you made it to the opening of the elevator. You shifted anxiously, afraid someone would spot you here before the others could arrive. But you were lucky.

Beth and Noah rushed down the hall, both with a bag slung over their shoulders. Noah pulled out a make-shift rope and tied it tightly to a brace on the wall. He held onto it for safety, nodding to you and Beth to go first. Beth grabbed onto the rope and began to shimmy down, once she reached far enough, you joined her on the way down. Beth dropped down onto bodies and quickly stepped out of the gathering.

You dropped down, your face twisting up in disgust as you stepped over the bodies and out of the shaft. Noah came down, but he was rushing and his grip slipped. He tumbled down into the bodies and let out a pained cry.

"Noah!" Beth hurried forward and dug through the bodies to get to Noah. You stepped over and helped him up, as he hissed in pain. "Can you walk?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." Noah reassured Beth.

"Okay." She didn't look sure, but didn't stop him as you both moved out of the shaft.

"Let's get going then." You announced, grabbing your picks for safety. Noah limped, there must be something wrong with his leg, but you knew there was no turning back now. You all rushed to the basement doors as Noah pointed ahead.

"There." Noah winced as he put weight on his leg and quickly shift his feet. Some snarling came up and you quickly dispatched the walkers who showed up.

Noah shoved the key into the basement door and clicked it open. A rush of sunlight hit the three of you as you all ran out of the hospital. You ran past a group of cars, recognizing them as the kind of car that hit Beth. But you didn't give it mind as the three of you stopped in front of a gated off area.

Walkers began to groan and approached, seeing your fleeing figures. Noah began to slip past the gate, when suddenly gunshots rang around you. The walkers dropped around you and you glanced back to see Kyle and another officer rushing over. Noah made it through and Beth pushed you forward to slip through the gate. You hurriedly did so and looked back to see Beth grabbed by the other officer.

"Beth!" You reached back to grab her, but you were grabbed by Noah and pulled back. The other officer restrained Beth as Kyle stepped forward.

"___, don't do this. If you come now, it won't be as bad as when Dawn finds you." Kyle warned. You frowned at him, before looking to Beth. She gave you a small smile and you knew she wanted you to go. You let Noah pull you away, as you turned and ran with him down the street.


	12. Different Sources of Light

The sky began to fill with reds, oranges, and pinks as the sun began to set on the horizon. You took one glance more out the window, before drawing the curtains. You turned to look at the hotel room you found and was still pleased by the find. It was clean, aside from the layer of dust on it, but it wasn't anything you couldn't fix. Besides it was a temporary stay.

Shortly after running off with Noah, you both slowed down and found cover in a office building. After five minutes of resting your aching legs and calming your beating heart, you both discussed your intentions.

"I'm heading north. I need to get back to my community." Noah explained.

"I need to get back to my group, they have to be in Georgia still." You frowned and looked to the ground. "But Beth..."

"They won't kill her."

"Then... When I find the group, we'll go out and find her." You affirmed and Noah smiled at that.

"It will be dangerous, but I wish you luck."

So, you separated ways. You found this hotel and it seemed to be stable enough. After going through the lobby's office. You had found a key to the hotel rooms. You began your adventure in looting.

Tons of mints and candy, not enough real meals. You also kept an eye out for a room that was clean and had a real lock. You landed across your humble abode and found it untouched, no one had entered it since the beginning of the apocalypse. After setting up your temporary shelter, you thought on your next actions. Most importantly, finding your group.

You decided to think on this while you continued to loot the building. You did find a kitchen and found about a dozen cans of food, which was a huge score for you. As you carried the load to your room, you caught sight of a maintenance closet and decided to check it when you came back down. You were glad you did.

Aside from finding a pistol, you also found several cans of paint. And that's when you got your idea. You scouted the area around the hotel and made sure it was clear of walkers before you got to work. After putting down three wanderers, you cracked open a can of paint, grabbed a brush, and got to work.

You started by putting down the initials in the middle of the street, big and clear as day to see. You then painted one on the ground in front of the hotel. You moved in and paint one at the bottom of the stairs. You climbed the stairs and painted one in front of the door to your floor. You stepped over and finished off by painting the initials on your door.

You stepped back and watched the paint drip from the fresh coat. You stuck the cans in the room next door and glanced at the initials, before stepping inside of the room, locking the door behind you.

M.D.

~Merle's P.O.V.~

"Alright, where's chopsticks?" Merle asked, as he looked through the remains of the gunshop. Maggie didn't look amused at the slur towards her husband, but went on.

"He went to slip through the back, see if there wasn't anything there." She answered.

Merle grunted as she went to check a pile of collapsed shelving for anything. The group was now taking shelter at a church. They pulled their vehicles up to the sides and at the moment, they were searching for supplies to gather into their vehicles for the trip north.

"You know, I didn't want to mention anything when we looked this place up in the phone book, but I just can't imagine a gun store having leftovers nowadays." Tara commented, as she shuffled past a pile of tipped over paper magazines and clutched her flashlight.

"Don't look good, does it?" Maggie sighed as stepped further into the shop. Merle was surprised at the condition of the shop. Yeah, everything was a wreck, but not a lot of walkers were about. A loud clattering sound comes form the back and everyone whirls around with their flashlights trained. Glenn steps out and squints at the light.

"Was it a walker?"

"Uh, yeah. It was a walker." Glenn answered with a hint of sarcasm. Merle scoffed and returned to his job of looting around.

"Really?" Tara asked in surprise.

"It was a stack of boxes and a mop and I tripped." Glenn laughs a little, but shifts the bag across his back. "Still... got what we came for."

"You actually found something?"

"Three silencers stashed in a mini-fridge." Glenn gestured back at the back room. "Rule number one of scavenging-- there's nothing left in this world that isn't hidden."

Merle hummed at the comment as he continued to look through the tight corners and crevices of the place for anything. The Chinese kid was right about that. What they needed, it'd be hidden. They'd just have to look for it. He was hoping the girl would be one of those things.

~

"Yah got nothing on them?" Merle asked, slightly frustrated as he cleaned his motorcycle. It was dark at this point, but the light of the moon gave Merle enough light to clean his bike. It wasn't easy with one hand, but he'd manage.

Daryl was sitting off to the side, smoking a cigarette that Merle had offered him. At the moment, Merle's little brother was filling him in on the adventure he had spent with the girl.

"I don't know where she was taken, but I know a car with a black cross sign was on the back window of the car 'n it sped away." Daryl explained, taking a long drag as he stared off into the darkness. "I should've been there... Coulda done something..."

"Yah shoulda been there?!" Merle growled as he tossed the dirty rag onto the seat of his bike. "I got knocked out like some pussy, when I shoulda been with y'all! Now some assholes have a couple girls, doin' who knows what to them!"

"She would've wanted yah there." Daryl looked back at his brother with solemn eyes. "No offense, but at one point, I was sure you were dead... But she didn't give up on yah. She was pretty determined tah find yah."

"Bullshit." Merle scowled. "Why'd she want to find an ol' ass like me?"

"Did yah ever consider that you might be her best friend in all this?" Daryl returned with a question and raised an eyebrow at Merle. The older brother shook his head and lowered his gaze. "You've known her longer than any of us 'n the same goes for her. I just hope yah won't give up on her either."

"How'd you suggest we find her?"

"Hope 'n pray, I guess." Daryl shrugged. "We managed to reunite, what? Three times now? Anything's possible."

Merle exhaled, not having a response to that. He grabbed the dirty rag and tossed it into one of his bike's pockets. He glanced at Daryl for a moment.

"Where yer girl at anyway?" Merle asked.

"Carol? She's back in the church with the others. What does it matter?" Daryl returned with a raised eyebrow.

"You've been hangin' off each other fer a whole day now, just weird tah see yah apart..." Merle shrugged.

"... Maybe I should go check on her." Daryl huffed and stood to his feet. He looked hesitantly at his cigarette, but decided to stick it in his mouth as they went around the church. He wasn't wasting a perfectly good bud. Merle followed, looking slightly amused at Daryl's concern.

As the two rounded from behind the church, they were both surprised to find a car with its engine idling. It was the car the group had found earlier and some things were packed into it. Both rednecks looked on and only became more surprised when Carol came around and moved to enter the car. She had some walker guts on her from putting down a biter. Daryl was the first to continue forward with quiet steps.

"What are you doing?" Daryl softly asked, hurt evident in his voice. Merle frowned at that, knowing his brother must really be hurt by this display. Carol whirled around in surprise, but sighed seeing Daryl and Merle. She looked over both men, before sadly looking to Daryl.

"I don't know." She answered.

"Bullshit." Merle began, but he wasn't able to continue as Daryl shot him a warning glance. Merle shut his mouth, but glared at Daryl's back. Guess he wasn't fighting for Daryl in this issue. Daryl and Carol stood staring off at each other for a minute, before Daryl stepped forward and offered his hand.

"Come on." Daryl kept out his hand, patiently waiting for her. Carol stared at his hand, before taking it. Their hands intertwined and Daryl released a sigh of relief. Merle wasn't sure how to feel, but he figured the two would work it out.

As the three turned to head back to the church, a car suddenly whirred down the road. The idiots had all their lights on and certainly weren't quiet with their actions. Daryl eyed the car, before his eyes widened and he released Carol's hand. He immediately ran to the driver's side of the car and pulled open the door.

"Whoa, whoa! What are you doing?" Carol watched in worry. "What are you doing?"

"Yeah. What the hell, brother?" Merle added, also wanting an answer.

"They got Beth and ___." Daryl stated and that was all the two needed to hear. "Come on. Come on, get in."

Carol rushed to the other side of the car and began to climb into the passenger seat. No way was Merle riding backseat.

"Get goin'. I'll catch up." Merle waved them off. Daryl nodded, revved the engine and tore off onto the road. Merle ran back to behind the church and hopped on his bike. He had trouble getting the engine on in his rush, the one hand getting in his way. But once the engine was on, he kicked dirt up from behind and booked it onto the road behind his brother.

Merle tried to recall everything he had. He had a fully reloaded derringer, two pistols, and another knife in his bike's saddle bags. He was gonna remove them after finishing his bike check-up, but that would now have to be saved for later. Other than that, he had a couple snacks, a pack of cigarettes though only thirteen remained, and a couple bandanas. He also had all the girl's stuff packed away in there. Nothing to live off of.

Hopefully this trip was fast.

If he was fast, he'd have his little angel back. Merle gripped the handlebar of his bike at the thought and knew he shouldn't be thinking this way. She wasn't his to have and he knew the likelihood was low. But seeing her safe, that's all that mattered.

~Reader's P.O.V.~

Your room wasn't too dark from the stars shedding light into the room. You were trying to fall asleep, but it wasn't easy. It was the first time you were truly alone in this apocalypse. No one in the same room or the other side of the wall. You were utterly and completely alone.

You thought of your mother on those first nights of the end of the world. She lied with you in your shared hotel bed as your father kept watch. You were traumatized at killing your first walker and you remember her comforting you as you lied awake in bed. She ran her hand through your hair lightly and spoke softly.

"I know it hurts, but... You did it to protect us..."

"But is that right?" You looked to her with pained eyes. "To kill a potential human?"

"To save another? It's never right to kill, but sometimes you have to. To keep the people you care about alive." Your mother smiled sadly.

"But what if you and Dad get bit? Or worse, what if you're killed? It wouldn't have been worth it! We will all die in the end!" You cried.

"That has always been the way of life. We knew bringing you into this world you would face great pain and potential danger. Though we never considered the dead walking... But despite those fears, we brought you here." Your mother touched your cheek lightly.

"Why?" You looked at her as you took a shaky breath.

"Because we loved you. We loved you before we even saw you. And we wanted you to experience the world. We wanted you to feel every joy and happiness." Your mother answered.

"There's no joy or happiness anymore..."

"You're wrong. Everyone must feel pain and sadness to truly feel joy." Your mother wiped away your tears. "One day, when this is settled, you'll wake up to the smell of waffles and maple. You'll walk into the kitchen of your house and you'll find your husband making breakfast."

"Mom..." You scoffed at the thought of a husband. That wasn't a possibility anymore.

"I'm being honest!" She laughed a little, glad to tease you, even a little. "And you'll walk up to him, kiss him on the cheek, and then you'll know real joy. You'll look back at all of this like it was a long nightmare. But you'll be grateful that you fought for that happiness."

"And where will you and Dad be in this happiness?"

"With you. Always." Your mom tapped your nose. "Even if we aren't... We are."

You choked on your sobs, as you turned on your back to look up at the ceiling of the room. It's been a year without your mom and her face was becoming a faded memory. But her voice still rang in your head and you couldn't help the flow of tears. You closed your eyes and your weariness took over. You drifted to sleep without any further effort.

~Merle's P.O.V.~

Merle leaned back on his bike, watching as the cops climbed back into their car to drive off. He knew they were cops from the uniforms they wore. Didn't mean anything now. It looked like they stopped to drop a body off, but it was unclear from this distance. Merle steadied his bike, ready to follow the retreating car, but his brother wasn't moving his own vehicle.

"What the hell..." Merle grumbled as he watched the idling vehicle in front of him. But the longer he looked, the quicker he noticed the engine wasn't actually running. Soon enough, Daryl and Carol stepped out of the vehicle with bags of supplies, putting down a couple walkers as they did so. Merle drove up to them as the last nearby biter dropped. "What's going on, Darylina?"

"Tank's empty." Daryl answered.

"I know a place we can stay for the night though." Carol quickly added. Merle nodded at that.

"Get on, bitches." Merle shifted forward on his bike and Carol immediately climbed on behind him. Daryl gave a look of distaste as he climbed onto the back of the bike, sitting on the edge of the seat. "Tell me the way, honey."

Merle roared down the street, a group of walkers struggling to follow from behind. They disappeared into the city, with no one having a trace on them.

~

With Merle's bike pulled into the front lobby of the office area, the three moved on to journey into the abandoned facility. The brothers hadn't a clue of where they were, but Carol seemed to know the place fairly well. After Daryl found a pair of keys on a body, Carol used them to unlock some doors leading further into the facility.

"Come on." She nodded with her head, as they stepped into the narrow hallways. A walker in what used to be a nice, casual outfit stepped up with a snarl. Merle easily shoved his knife through its skull.

"Tight 'n narrow... Don't like it." Merle muttered.

"I didn't either." Carol responded with some cold mirth.

"You used to work here or something?" Daryl asked, looking about the place. It wasn't like anything the brother's seen before. It seemed like a clinic of some sort, but they couldn't pinpoint what.

"Something." They came to another door after passing several others. Carol pressed her ear against it, before taking out the keys and opening it. The door opened with a rattle. The three stepped into the room to find a small bedroom. It held a clean bunk bed, an armchair, a window, and a dresser.

"What's this place?" Daryl muttered.

"It's temporary housing." Carol answered, closing and locking the door behind them.

"..." Merle noticed a plaque on the wall and in the cursive print, it read, "Domestic Violence Psychiatrist". Merle remembered that jerk Ed for a moment and gritted his teeth. "Shit..."

"What?" Daryl stepped over and read the plaque, before looking back to Caorl with a softer expression. "You came here?"

"We didn't stay." Carol answered quietly back. She turned to the armchair and tossed her back onto it. "I'll take the chair. You two can take the bed. It's more your style."

"Hell no. I ain't havin' a woman give up a bed to mah brother." Merle scoffed. He shoved his brother forward, almost causing him to run into Carol. "He can share."

"Merle, are you a dumbass? The beds are too small." Daryl snapped, looking slightly flustered at the suggestion.

"Then yah better get comfortable, little brother." Merle managed to grab ahold of the frame of the bed and climb up onto the top bunk. He lied back with a sigh. He glanced back over and watched the silent conversation his brother and Carol shared. They had telepathy or something. Finally Daryl sat in the bottom bunk and was joined by Carol.

"You should sleep. I'll take first watch." Carol offered after some silence. Merle couldn't see their expressions, but he could certainly see the small woman looking off in embarrassment.

"This is locked up pretty tight." Daryl pointed out. His brother probably looked stoic, but he sounded desperate.

"I know."

"Then we're good, then."

"I'll keep first watch. I don't mind." Carol stood up from the bed and grabbed her rifle, sitting at the armchair by the window,

"Suit yourself." Daryl dropped the subject. Merle's brother moved to sit directly across from Carol, leaning forward. He spoke softly and Merle couldn't hear their conversation unless he strained. Merle sighed and turned onto his side, closing his eyes.

Merle needed to sort out what he was going to do when he found the girl. He supposed it depended on how he found her. If she was alive, he'd act casual, laid back, like he knew he'd find her and save her. Maybe he could even send some signals. Nothing to scare the girl off, but maybe to catch her interest.

But the blondie might be with her and he knew he couldn't do anything like that with her around. She might catch on. He'd just have to act like... Well, himself, make the girl comfortable after all this hell.

But what would he do if he came to find she was dead? The thought crept into the back of Merle's mind and he didn't like it. It was certainly a possibility, not something out of the question, but... He knew he'd be a mess if that's what he came to find. He'd probably kill the one who's responsible and anyone else he could get his hands on. He shouldn't care so much, but...

Who was he kidding anymore? He did care.

Some loud, distant banging sounded through the room and the living residents fell silent to listen. The banging stopped for a moment, before starting up, again. He heard two shifts from below, and knew his brother and his woman would check on it. Merle slipped out the derringer from his pocket and held it to his chest in case.

Some time passed, before they both returned without any worry. They closed and locked the door, before they both climbed into the bottom bunk together. It seemed their avoidance to being physically close had diminished somewhat. Merle closed his eyes, again, and felt as much peace as he would at the moment. Things would clear up tomorrow, he knew it would.

Whether it was good or bad, he wasn't so sure of...

~

Merle found himself on his bike the next day, scouring the streets for any sign of the girls or their captors. Morning came quick and the decision to search for the girls was settled. Though it wasn't easy coming up with the plan.

"We shouldn't split up, it's dangerous to go alone. You of all people should know that." Daryl argued, sending Merle an irritated glance.

"It would cover a helluva lot more of the area." Merle snapped back. "Look, I'll take the bike 'n go through the streets. Dead can't stop me while I'm on wheels. You two can go on foot 'n quietly go through the buildings. Maybe if we're lucky, those assholes will be distracted by me 'n give ya both a chance to find the girls."

"He has a point." Carol cut in, receiving a slightly surprised look from Daryl. "Look, we will just set up a place to meet up. How long do you think we should give each other?"

"Sunrise, tomorrow." Merle suggested. "Give us twenty-four hours tah find anything, maybe even come back with the girls if we find 'em."

"But don't go chargin' into anything that you can't handle." Daryl warned. Merle raised his hand and bayonet arm with a chuckle.

"Why you lookin' at me while ya say that?"

"Because I know you and I know you like headin' into the fire." Daryl stepped closer in warning. "Don't. Last thing we need is someone dead."

"I know when tah pace myself, Darylina. But you 'n yer girl better not get into any trouble either." Merle teased as the other two looked away in embarrassment. Merle cackled at that, leaning against the wall. "So, we meet her at sunrise tomorrow. We wait an hour and if the other doesn't show up..."

"Head back to the group." Daryl finished and Merle nodded solemnly at that. Carol didn't seem to like the idea, but nodded in agreement, too.

So, the three split off into two groups and Merle find himself driving along the familiar roads of Atlanta. He tried not to glance at the looming building where he was handcuffed at, but finally offered it a small look. It made a shiver go down his spine. His hand wouldn't be there, since Daryl explained he took it, but those bloodied handcuffs would still be there.

Merle snapped out of his thoughts to find himself in an unfamiliar road of Atlanta. But he continued down and noticed a lack of walkers, probably since there was more sound to be found inside the city. He peered ahead and didn't find anything out of the ordinary. Abandoned buildings, shops, etc. But then he saw something that cause him to slam on the break to stop his bike.

He skidded in front of a decaying hotel that had a couple abandoned vehicles around, but that's not what stopped him. On the ground, painted in black, was his initials.

Merle turned off the engine to his bike and brought it up, parking it in a space between two cars. He went over and kneeled down by the paint, touching it lightly. It was dry, but it was bold and bright unlike all the faded paint leftover from the past world. So it had to have been painted in the last week.

Merle stood to his feet and stared at the hotel in front of him. It was too strange not to be a coincidence. He grabbed one of the pistols from his bike pouches, glanced around to make sure no one was around, before making his way into the building.


	13. It Wasn't Meant For You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning:  
> There is attempted rape in this chapter. If that bothers you or could trigger something in any way, than it would be best to skip this chapter. At the bottom I will put a summary of the chapter.

You hummed as you folded up your clothes, placing them back in your bag creating more room. You proceeded to fill your bag with your food supplies. You spent your morning much the same. You got up, cleaned up as much as you could, checked the perimeters, before deciding to busy yourself with getting your pack ready to head out of here. You decided to go out and find a vehicle when the sun was high in the sky, so you could go out and find Daryl.

You hope he was alright, you still couldn't imagine how he must be feeling.

You finished repacking your bag, glad it had a lot more room in it now. You jumped at the sound of someone knocking on your door. You looked out the window, wondering how you missed anything, but noticed something new. You couldn't see it at a simple glance, but there it was. Merle's bike.

Suddenly, every worry and risk that was flooding your mind broke away. You smiled widely, straightened out your clothes, and rushed to the door. You left your picks and rifle on the dresser with your bag, figuring you wouldn't need them.

You couldn't believe it, he found you! You weren't sure he would and not so quickly, but maybe he met back up with Daryl. Maybe he was already nearby. You were so excited to see him, you couldn't wait a second longer. You unlocked and swung open the door.

"I knew you'd-!" You cut yourself off and immediately tried to slam the door shut. But it was too late and the door was forced open, Kyle stepping into the room. He slammed the door shut behind him, as you stepped back in shock. "Kyle?! What the heck are you doing here?"

"What does it look like? I'm here to help you." Kyle gave you a concerned look, but with his entrance, you knew that wasn't quite it. "Everyone's been worried sick, ___. And you're not even with Noah? You could get killed being alone."

"I can protect myself..." You began to edge towards your rifle that sat on the dresser, but Kyle's eyes flicked over and he caught sight of it. Before you could turn and run, Kyle caught you by the wrist and tugged you away from the dresser.

"___... I didn't want it to be like this." Kyle said more softly, as you tried to break away from his grip. You managed to break from the grip, but Kyle quickly countered by pushing you onto the hotel bed. You quickly tried to roll off and get away, but Kyle quickly dropped down onto you. He restrained your wrists above your head and pressed his body down on you. "You see, I wanted to be normal about this. I wanted to get to know you and to make you happy. I wanted to hear you laugh and I wanted to make you feel wanted. Then maybe... Maybe you'd consider."

There was no questioning what he wanted and you felt your blood run cold. You were sick to your stomach and you continued to try to get away from this man.

"Do you know how hard it is to find girls my age?!" Kyle snapped, gripping your face so you'd look up at him. His eyes flitted across your face, his expression tight with anger. "I just wanted someone... I can give you everything, ___. It doesn't have to be this way. We can go back and you can be safe."

"I'm not safe. Not with you." You spat, but received a slap from McGinley.

"You're the one making me do this! I hope you realize that!" McGinley released your face and sighed deeply. "Maybe I'll have to teach you a lesson and then maybe you'll reconsider. I don't want to hurt you, but you leave me no choice."

"You have tons of choices." You growled, when suddenly McGinley forced his lips onto yours. You tried to push him off and managed to loosen one of your hands. You clawed at McGinley with what was left of your nails. He drew back with some blood trailing down his face.

"Shit!" He cursed, touching the claw marks across his cheek. He glared at you. "I am curious, if you didn't want to see me. Why'd you leave all those signs?"

"What are you talking about?" You hissed as McGinley restrained your arms, again, with a tighter hold.

"I get that the M stands for McGinley, but what's the D? Because it's not what I thought it implied." McGinley smirked at that and you shivered in disgust.

"Those weren't for you, moron." You retorted as the bed creaked under both your weights. But it hadn't before... Strange...

"Who were they for then, bitch?" McGinley breathed into your face.

"Merle Dixon."

"Who the hell is tha-?!" McGinley choked when a long knife suddenly was shoved through his back and protruded from his chest. You watched in horror as the knife stopped before it could catch you. But relief filled your whole being as your savior leaned his head down, so McGinley could see him with his dying breathes.

"That's me, asshole. Say hello to Satan in hell fer me." Merle finished by spitting in the man's face and shoving him off his bayonet arm. McGinley's body dropped to the side of you, blood beginning to pore from his wound and mouth. You looked up to Merle, panting as your alarmed heart calmed down. Merle went from looking at the man in disgust before looking to you with a softer expression. He offered you his one hand. "Let's get ya out of here, darlin'."

You began to tear up, but gladly took Merle's hand as he pulled you out of the bed and onto your feet.

~

You insisted on just finding another room, but Merle was persistent. He wasn't going to let you sleep another night in the building where you were almost raped. He also didn't like the thought of other cops knowing where you were hid.

"Who knows who else he told about this place." Merle added, as you climbed onto the bike with him with all your stuff. He drove you down the street and parked his motorcycle in the garage of an apartment complex. You both scouted the complex, putting down a few walkers before finding an apartment to crash in for the night. It was a mess, but it was more like "a family lived here" mess.

Once you both locked down the place, you set up a few trip alarms here and there, covered up the windows, and finally relaxed. You sat down with Merle on the couch in the living room. You were seated first and Merle sat down to the right of you. He looked like he wanted to say something, even opened up his mouth but he closed it just as fast. You didn't know what to say, but you did look at him.

He was pretty dirty, didn't look like he showered since the prison. His scruff was growing out and it was just as bad as it had gotten when he stayed at your house in the woods. His clothes were different, but you recognized them as a pair of clothes he owned at the prison. He didn't seem to have any new injuries, but you did notice some marking along his wrist.

The biggest difference had to be his curls that had finally grown it. They were a dark blonde, curling across the base of his hairline. They weren't ever brushed and it was easy to see his hair was in disarray. If they got anymore fluffed up, he'd definitely have an afro, though you wouldn't point that out. You thought he looked handsome with the curls.

When you were done examining Merle, you found him examining you, too. You both must've changed a lot more than you thought in this last week and a couple days. You thought back on those small moments where you thought, maybe, just maybe Merle was gone. You snapped back to reality as tears filled your eyes, again. Merle furrowed his brows and opened his mouth to ask what the matter was, when you threw your arms around his neck and pulled yourself close.

"I was so scared I wouldn't see you, again!" You cried, burying your face into the crook of his neck as you leaned your head against his shoulder. Merle brought his unarmed arm around your back and pulled you against him, as he held you back.

"Ya haven't seen the last of me, sweet cheeks." Merle assured, pressing his nose against the side of your head. You felt his chest rumble as he spoke and you relaxed against him. It was so good to hear his voice, again. To be with him, again. He rubbed circles into your back before his tone became more serious. "We need tah talk. We both have a lot of explainin' tah do."

"We do..." You pulled away and brushed away your escaped tears, sniffing lightly. "Where should we start?"

"Hm... How 'bout the beginnin'?" Merle hummed, slowing his rub against your back. He gave you a knowing smirk. "I don't want tah start in the middle of the chapter like last time."

It took you a moment, but it made you smile. He was talking about the book you read with him. You relaxed and sniffed, again. You moved closer to him, again, but he brought his knife arm around your waist. He brought you over to sit across his legs, but when you looked to him for an answer, he didn't seem to acknowledge what he was doing.

"When I last saw you, I was running to grab your bike... When I came back, everyone was gone. I decided to drive down the road, and I ran into Daryl and Beth. Things went on from there." You began your side of the story, trying to recall anything important to tell him. Merle listened in silence as he held you, both of you letting time slip away.

~

"So, ya really liked it?" Merle grinned

"It's not my preferred choice of meat." You smiled. "But I was really surprised that snake was as good as it was. Your brother is a great wildlife cook. He has you running for your money."

"Hey, he got the cookin' skills 'n I got the looks." Merle teased and for the first time in a while, you laughed. Merle's grin only widened at your reaction.

~

"Damn, all that for some booze?" Merle huffed, looking off to the side. "Sounds like me when I was in middle-school."

"Don't you mean high school?" You corrected, but Merle only gave you a raised eyebrow. You recalled what he told you of his childhood and mentally slapped yourself. "Never mind, but it was sort of a headache... An alcohol search in the middle of the apocalypse just sounds like a stupid idea."

~

"Sleepover at a funeral home and talkin' about feelings? That sounds like mah pussy-ass brother." You punched Merle in the arm for that and he retaliated by poking you in the side with a smirk.

"Your brother was the best person I could've been stuck with." You paused. "Aside from you, of course."

"Yah really missed ol' Merle?" Merle smirked at that, his eyes lowering as his arm around your waist seemed to pull you a little closer.

"... You're the reason I've met all these wonderful people during the hardest time in my life." You admitted softly, averting your eyes away. His cold blue eyes were becoming a bit too much. "And I've come to really enjoy your company. You're probably my most trusted companion I've had in all this, Merle. Besides my parents."

You could feel Merle stiffen underneath you and you looked to him in curiosity. Why was he so tense? This seemed like the perfect opportunity to tease you.

"Yah shouldn't put all yer trust in me, sugah." Merle grunted, bringing his arm away from your waist and resting it on the arm of the couch.

"If I can't put my trust in you, who can I out my trust in?"

"My brother, his woman, the Korean kid-"

"Ko-... Wait, you actually said that right." You corrected yourself, astonished that Merle wasn't being completely racist. He'd always be a little.

"Whatever. The point is, I don't deserve yer trust. At least, not personal trust." Merle locked eyes with you and gave you a determined look. "Yah can always trust me when it comes tah survival 'n dangerous situations. I'm never gonna let yah down."

"I know you won't."

~

"And so I escaped from the hospital with him. We separated ways since we had different destinations." You finished your side of the tale.

"So, Blondie's still in there." Merle frowned at that.

"I was hoping to get the others, storm in there, and break her out." You paused. "But hopefully we would come up with a smoother plan than that."

"We meet up with mah brother in the mornin' 'n decide on that." Merle looked skeptical and a pit grew in your stomach. Was saving Beth too much of a stretch? Merle must've seen your face, because he gave you a smirk, though his eyes betrayed him. "She ain't stayin' in there, whether we save her or she gets out herself. You know how "Beth"s are. They will bitch their way out of every situation."

"Yeah, you have a point." You smiled a little. "So, do I get to hear your side of the story now?"

"Probably should save it fer tomorrow." Merle glanced out the darkening window. "It's one hell of a story and... Well, you've been mentally scarred enough today. No use openin' old wounds."

"Alright... But I need to know, who made it out?"

"Mah brother was with me, he's still fine. Feels like shit 'bout losin' yah though. Carol's alive, she's... Changed. But I think she 'n Daryl are gettin' somewhere." Merle smiled and you couldn't help a small laugh escape your lips at that. You loved seeing those two together, especially now that you knew how much Daryl really cared about her. "Korean's alright, same with his wife. Sharpshooter and her brother. Guess she's with Bob now, that dumbass is alive. Sheriff, his kid, and even the baby's alive."

"Thank goodness." You sighed in relief. "I was so worried for Judith, but she must be one tough baby."

"A lil' asskicker like mah brother calls her." Merle smirked as he continued with the list of people. "Michonne's still swinging.... That's about it."

"That's it? That's everyone that made it out?" Your eyes widened. "We... We lost a lot of people..."

"Met some new people on the way. A rug muncher named Tara. Keep away from her, she might try tah get in yer pants." You elbowed Merle, but he only laughed. "I'm tryin' tah save yer hide, darlin'!"

"I'll be fine, Merle. I already told you. I'm straight. I like men, thank you." You poked Merle in the chest and his smirk only grew.

"I am damn fine with that, promise." Merle chuckled. "We also ran into a trio. They call themselves Abraham, Rosita, and Eugene. They're headin' tah D.C."

"Why?"

"This is gonna sound like bullshit, but it sounds like they might know the cure tah this disease, but they got tah reach that destination." Merle nodded out the window and you knew what he meant. They might know how to stop the sickness that creates walkers. What a blessing that would be.

"We should definitely help out those guys." You insisted and Merle rolled his neck.

"Was plannin' on joinin' them after we got yah back from yer kidnappers."

"Oh? Sounds like I'm not the only one who missed someone." You teased, fluttering your lashes and leaning closer to Merle. You pressed your hand to his chest and locked eyes. You were only playing with him, but for a moment, you swore you could have seen shock in his eyes. He knew you were joking, right?

After Merle recovered from his moment of hesitation, he brought his armed arm around your waist, again. He gave a mock pout and looked at you.

"What can I say, sweet cheeks? You're like a drug. I just can't get enough of yah." The side of Merle's mouth quirked up when he finished and you scoffed.

"But I'm a drug that's good for you." You insisted.

"Oh no. You're a bad drug. Definitely not healthy tah be around yah too much. I might just overdose." Merle joked, though there seemed to be a hidden meaning to his words. Or maybe that was just you. You pushed on his shoulder lightly.

"Some friend you are."

"I'm the best kind." Merle smirked lewdly, again, leaning back into the couch. "The kind with benefits."

~

You made it very clear to Merle about your sleeping arrangements. You didn't feel comfortable sleeping in the same room as him.

"Stop apologizin'." Merle shut you up real quick, giving you a slight scowl. "That asshole screwed with yer head today, luckily nothing else. I get why yah wouldn't want tah be in a room with another man. Even if it's a guy you've known fer a while."

"Are you sure you're not offended?" You frowned a little.

"I'd be more offended if you wanted to sleep in a different room because of my ugly-ass face." Merle quirked up his lips at that and you relaxed, allowing a small smile on your own face.

"Thank you, Merle. This means a lot." So, after Merle told you to shout if you were in trouble, you both departed to bedrooms that were side-by-side of each other. The walls were thin enough, yelling to him for help wouldn't be a problem. The room setup was much more comfortable than the hotel you were at and you were grateful for the better quality mattress.

But you were restless. You wanted to go to sleep, you were exhausted from the events of the day, but your body just refused to shut down for the night. Every time you closed your eyes you saw Kyle, again, and he was hovering over you. You broke out into a sweat and your eyes flew open, too scared to close, again. You tossed and turned, nothing improved.

You turned onto your side, figuring you would never get any sleep, when you heard a knock at your door. You knew it was Merle, but it still made you jump. Not waiting for a response, Merle clicked open the door and glanced inside the room. It was dark, but light coming from the stars that flickered through the window revealed the slight concern on Merle's face.

"Shit, darlin'. Yah really are still awake." Merle acknowledge as you turned to better face him.

"Did you need something, Merle?" You asked softly.

"Figured yah couldn't sleep, so..." Merle stepped in and held up a bundled blanket with his one hand. He tossed it to you and you caught it alright, examining the blanket in confusion. "Easier tah fall asleep with more layers."

"Thanks." You unfolded the blanket as a small item dropped into your lap. Your eyes widened at the sight. An old iPod shuffle with earbuds.

"Music helps, too." Merle added with a tired grin. "I checked the damn, old thing. It's gotta charge. Don't know how long it will last, but-"

"This means a lot, Merle." You gave him a grateful look, your heart swelling on the inside. You had tried to push your feelings for him down, but everything he did... It continued to rekindle that flame. "Thank you so much."

"Get some sleep, alright?" Merle brushed off your thanks, leaning his body against the frame of the door. He looked at you for a moment longer, before his voice became slightly softer. "Damn, sweet cheeks... I still can't believe I found yah."

"I knew you would. I never gave up on you." You smile, before placing the earbuds in your ears. Merle offered you a tired nod, before closing your door. You turned on the shuffle and some music began to flow through. You hadn't heard recorded music in such a long time, you felt a surge of emotion come forth.

You began to cry.

You fell asleep from you tiredness, your energy exhausted in tears, and in the music.

~Everybody's talkin' 'bout the new sound, funny, but it's still rock and roll to me~

Merle got you up early that morning and once you both had a granola bar, you both booked it on his bike to the meeting place to meet up with Daryl. You reached the facility and frowned slightly seeing it was a domestic abuse center. You sat with Merle in the front lobby, waiting for his brother.

"You gonna tell me your side of the story while we wait?" You suggested.

"Not sure if you're mentally prepared fer what I have tah say, sugah." Merle rubbed the back of his neck, but all you heard was excuses.

"Lay them on me, Dixon. I can handle it." You fired back. Merle smirked at that and took a seat.

"Gotta sit down. It's a long story despite being a week or so."

~

"You and Glenn teamed up? Never thought I'd hear that."

"We argued here 'n there, but we had one goal in mind, findin' the others. So, we both pulled our weight in that goal." Merle shifted, a frown settling on his lips. "I hate tah say it, but... Chopsticks has shown he's a better leader in that time than Officer Friendly ever was."

"I'm glad to hear you don't completely hate him anymore." You smiled a little. "Look at you, growing up and maturing."

"I've been grown up and mature for a damn long time, darlin'." Merle scoffed, but added a bit quieter. "But maybe I am bein' a bit more... open minded 'bout others..."

~

"Sounds like you and this Abraham would get along."

"We do, it was nice tah finally have someone tah casually talk to, since..."

"Since Daryl and I weren't there." You finished for him.

"Yeah. He's different tah talk to, too." Merle chuckled. "If yah think I'm vulgar, that man is the devil himself."

~

"You could've left with the others, but you stayed with Glenn and Tara."

"If I stuck with Abe, findin' you 'n my brother wouldn't have been the top priority." Merle rolled his shoulders. "I put mah conditions first."

"But they have the cure to saving everyone in the world. That seems so much more important." You pointed out.

"What's the point in curin' the world if mah brother 'n friend ain't in it?" Merle cocked an eyebrow and you felt a warmth flood your chest. Maybe Merle wasn't always the most articulate, but he always had the best way of telling his blunt truth.

"I guess you got me there." You brushed your hair back, offering a smile. "Keep going."

"I'm warning ya now, it gets a bit crooked from here."

~

"Despite the danger, you stayed with them."

"I wasn't gonna leave them tah die... They're a bunch of idiots, but they can survive." Merle tried to brush away the caring you kept trying to imply. "'Sides, Daryl would've been pissed if he heard I let them die."

"I'm sure that's what stopped you." You smiled a little. "So, Glenn and Maggie reunited. What did you do after that?"

"We made our way tah Terminus."

"What?" You paled at his words.

"We all made it out just fine, darlin'. But we wanted tah make sure none of us were there. Turns out the sheriff, Daryl, the rest I mentioned were there." Merle tried to settle your concern, but your nightmares and dark thoughts resurfaced. Your heart rate sped up as fear enveloped you. "Everyone made it out, girl. I'm tellin' ya."

"But you might not have..."

"Sweet cheeks." Merle huffed, slightly in annoyance but mostly in exasperation. He stood up and walked over to where you sat, resting his one hand on your shoulder. "Gareth 'n his goons, they're all dead. You'll never have tah worry about yourself or anyone else, again."

"Can't I be worried about what might've happened to you?" You took Merle's hand that rested on your shoulder, clutching it with your fingers. You looked to the markings across his wrist to find they were small cuts. He was restrained at one point. You looked to Merle and he answered your question with one look. You sighed, releasing his hand and leaning back into the chair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary:  
> You are prepared to head out of the hotel, when suddenly Kyle reappears and attempts to sexually assault you. Merle barges in and kills McGinley, taking you away from the hotel.
> 
> You share your story, before spending the night at an apartment with Merle. You sleep in separate rooms, but Merle gives you an iPod to fall asleep to.
> 
> The next day, you both wait for Daryl while Merle tells his side of the story.


	14. Cold Feet

Daryl never ended showing up. Two hours passed and there was no sign of him. Merle was far beyond frustrated. He was fighting with himself about whether to stay in the facility or head back to the church. But glancing one more time at the girl, he knew he needed to get her to the others.

She deserved to see them, again.

So, after recollecting themselves, the two hopped on Merle's bike and began to make their way out of the city. The girl was silent on the ride back, but Merle didn't need to conversation. He was fine with just having her arms wrapped around his waist, letting him know she was still hanging on. It took another hour or so, before the two reached the dirt road leading to the church. Merle slowed his bike down at the approach, but frowned a little.

There were tire tracks on the ground.

"What the hell happened?" Merle pulled up to the church, immediately noticing the absence of the two trucks. The redneck cursed as he parked the bike, letting the engine idle. "Shit, if they left without us..."

"Wait, I think I see something!" The girl hopped off the bike and hurried over to an object that Merle now noticed. She picked up the box and walked back over, pulling a note off the top of it. "It says Daryl!"

The girl handed the box over to Merle as she read the note. Merle opened the box to find a box of ammo, a couple cans of food on top of a couple blankets. He looked back to the girl, who was frowning.

"What's it say?" Merle asked. The girl merely handed the letter to Merle, taking the box so he wouldn't have to lean it on his blade arm.

"Brother,

Carol got taken by the same people as Beth and ___.  
We ran into a kid who can help us. We couldn't wait for you. The kid said ___'s alright.  
Said she was heading back to us. We'll keep an eye out, you do the same.  
Beth's still in that damned place, so the rest of us are getting her and Carol out.  
If we don't run into each other, meet us in D.C."

Merle looked to the girl, who was packing away the items left behind into the bike's bags. She straightened up and dusted off her pants, before looking to Merle.

"What do we do now? Head to the hospital to try and catch them or...?" She trailed off and Merle knew they both had the same plan in mind.

"Get on, sugah. We're headin' tah D.C." Merle revved the engine and the girl smiled, taking the note. She folded it up and stuffed it in her pocket, before climbing on behind him. Merle roared back onto the dirt road.

He never thought ever in his life that at one point he'd be hunting down his brother in D.C. on the back of his bike with the company of a younger girl. But he also never thought dead people would be walking one day. The older Dixon smirked and leaned his body forward as he sped up the bike. Maybe it wasn't ideal, but having confirmation that both his brother and ___ were alive was enough to get his fire flaring, again.

~Reader's P.O.V.~

It was nice being with Merle, again. You didn't have to worry about what you said and you always felt more relax. Though his determination with getting back to his brother was never something you wanted to interrupt. But you were now considering it.

You had been on the back of Merle's bike all day. You had been driving through hills of trees and wildlife, and time passed by slowly. You occupied yourself with looking for landmarks, but your face was getting tired from being hit by the wind and your rear was getting sore from the form of the seat. The sun was beginning to fall and in hindsight, finding shelter for the night did seem like the best option at the moment.

"Merle!" You called over the rushing wind. "I think we should find some cover for the night! We can get started right when the sun rises!"

"We could catch up with them if we keep treadin'!" Merle called back.

"And risk driving in the dark?! You could hit something!" You insisted. "Besides we need to eat! We haven't had a proper meal all day! We'll be run down to the bone!"

"If we see a shelter soon, I'll consider stoppin'!" Merle ended the discussion and you nodded your head against his back agreement. You reached a bargain with Merle, you'd have to go by his terms if you wanted any rest tonight. Another thirty minutes passed before a small set of buildings came into view. It was a gas station with a small Ma 'n Pa restaurant beside it. Merle slowed down, before halting the bike and propping out a leg to steady it.

"This seems perfect for a night of rest." You started. "We'll just need to clear out the restaurant to make it safe for us to sleep in."

"We're gonna loot the gas station though, scrape up anything we can get."

"Of course." So, you both set to work. You first cleared the restaurant, finding only a couple decrepit walkers to put down. You dragged the bodies out as Merle gathered up any leftover supplies for food. You found him with a bunch of scratch ingredients sitting on the counter of the kitchen. "What's all this?"

"People had an off-grid oven. No one picked up this stuff because ya can't eat it raw." Merle looked at you with a smirk. "We're both gonna learn how tah bake."

"You're crazy. I thought you said baking was for girls."

"That's what yer here for."

"Right." You grinned a little, kind of excited to try baking. And from the looks of it, it was just bread, how hard could it be? "Should we scout out the gas station before it gets dark?"

"Probably should. I want us out of here in the mornin'." Merle nodded to your suggestion as he grabbed his pistol, shoving it into the back of his pants. "Better pull mah bike into the front of this place, too."

You grabbed your picks and hooked them to your sides, sighing at the familiar feeling. It felt wrong not having them there. Merle picked up your derringer and held it out to you. You hesitated.

"It's yers. Saved me quite a bit." Merle rubbed a thumb along the barrel of the gun. "It's the thing that saved me from Gareth."

"You should hold onto it then." You pushed the gun back towards him as you grabbed your father's rifle, slinging it over your shoulder. "Maybe it will save you, again."

"..." Merle looked like he wanted to argue for a moment, before he gave you a grin and slipped it into his pocket. "Maybe it will save you, too, sweet cheeks."

~

You both looted the gas station, finding some cigarettes for Merle and a package of bottled water. That was a treasure in a time like this. After locking up the restaurant, setting up a few trip-traps here and three, you and Merle set about to make some loaves of bread.

The first two loaves didn't go so well. The first was way too doughy when it came out and the second was as hard as a rock. But the third loaf and all the loaves made after that was just right. You managed to make three loaves of bread, one to eat tonight and two more for the road. You bit into another slice of the warm bread and sighed in content.

"Ya make it sound pretty damn good." Merle joked as he pulled up his chair to sit by the stove, too. It was warmest here and you both decided to set up little sleeping nests here rather than out in the open with all the windows. You dragged in some cushions that could be found in the dining area of the restaurant to help make sleeping on the ground better.

"It's amazing." You nudged Merle's foot with your own. "You're an amazing cook. I'm gonna keep you around."

"As long as ya catch the fish." Merle challenged with a smirk. "Damn, I never thought I would end up making food for a woman."

"I'm not just any woman." You hesitated on what you were going to say. "I'm a girl you want to keep around."

"Yer not wrong." Merle looked at you almost seeming to search for something, before closing his eyes and biting into his bread. "God..."

"Not bad, huh?"

"Hell no, it's damn good." Merle stretched, popping his back as he relaxed in the chair he sat in. He hummed a little. "Weird... Mah brother could be anywhere, but... I don't feel worried 'bout him."

"Maybe you've finally realized that he's fine on his own." You smiled, relaxing in your own seat. "He'll be fine, we just need to catch up to him."

"I found the pussy three times now... I can find him, again."

"That's the spirit." You chirped, before finishing the last of your slice. You had about five slices, and now your stomach was full and warm. You felt ready to lie down and rest for the night. You stood up, stretching your arms above your head. "I'm hitting the hay. You waking us up in the morning?"

"Might stay up 'n keep watch, make sure no one kills us in our sleep."

"We set up trip-wires, we will hear them coming."

"Don't want tah take chances."

"Fine, but tomorrow night I'm taking watch." You stated with determination. You stepped over and stopped in front of Merle. He glanced up at you with a raised eyebrow. You sighed, before bringing up a hand and running it through his curls. They were dirty, but soft and sprung back up after you brushed over them. You leaned down and pressed a kiss against Merle's forehead. "Thanks for finding me and not giving up on me."

"Ya didn't give up on me, I don't see why I should with you." Merle mused. You gently pulled your hand away from his hair and he snorted slightly. "I was thinkin' of cuttin' those damn curls, but you seem tah like them."

"I think they're adorable." You admitted.

"I'm not goin' for adorable."

"Maybe you should. So when people approach us they won't think you're the expert killer that you are." You pointed out.

"I'm thinkin' the knife might be a dead giveaway." Merle held up his bayonet arm to emphasize his point.

"Well, I like them." You shrugged lightly, before heading over to your makeshift nest on the floor. It was nothing like Daryl's meticulous work, but it would be just fine for the one night you would spending here. You got down and curled up on the cushions, pulling the blanket over your form. You recognized Merle's musk coming off the blanket, causing you to pull it closer around you. All the warmth curled around you as you drifted to sleep.

~

Two days passed since you were at the restaurant. You spent the whole next day driving on his motorcycle. You didn't see any sign of the others and finally when the sun was sinking low, you insisted taking shelter somewhere, again. This time Merle stopped at a home off the side of the road and cleared out the house, finding no one living there and no walkers around. After investigating more, Merle found a prize.

"Look at 'er!" Merle whistled as he slid his one hand along the rims of the truck. She was a brand new, sparkling clean Tacoma. She must've been left behind by the previous owners. "All we have tah do now is put the bike in the back 'n we got the best damn ride in the apocalypse."

"And we can take shelter in there instead of in a new location every night." You became excited at the prospect.

"Hell yeah we can! This baby's got a back seat with lots of open space, enough room fer each of us tah sleep." Merle popped open the back doors to show you. Sleeping in the front seat of the vehicle looked like it would be just as comfortable.

That night you did as you said and took watch for the entire night, allowing Merle to finally get a full night's rest. But in the morning, you both gathered your things and got into the truck. That's where you found yourself now, sitting in the passenger seat of the truck with Merle driving.

"Are you sure you should be driving?" You asked, glancing at Merle's arm.

"Stop bitchin'. We're fine. I can drive with no hands." Merle rolled his eyes, but kept his focus on the road. You glanced back at the backseat where all your stuff laid before looking out the window at Merle's bike seated in the trunk. You both were very fortunate to have found this truck. You were fortunate to have found each other.

~

As you watched the scenery pass by you, you began to notice some slight changes. The road began to curve up and down, becoming rolling hills at times. The trees became tighter together and you began to notice some pine trees sprinkled into the mix. It was familiar somehow. The moment you saw a bobcat scurry off into the woods, you knew where you were.

"We're in the mountains!" You exclaimed, catching Merle off guard since you had been quiet for a while. You looked to him with a bright smile, your blood pumping through your veins in the excitement. "We must be in North Carolina or we're getting close to there. This is where my parents and I were headed!"

"What makes ya figure these are the same mountains?" Merle cocked an eyebrow, glancing at you from the corner of his eye.

"The wildlife. We were headed to a cabin nearby Linville Falls."

"... That's on the way of this route." Merle stretched out one of his legs as he seemed to recall the way there. "Missed the road that directly leads there, but there's a place up here where people would rent campin' sites 'n hike up there."

"Do you... Do you think we could stop at the cabin I was heading to?"

"And why the hell would we do that?"

"The couple who owned it were out of state and if they never made it back, than my family would be the only one who knew where they left their keys." You explained. "If no ones broken in, than there might be more supplies there."

"Of course someone would break in at this day 'n age."

"It's pretty isolated on top of the mountain, the only other ones who were ever around was there next-door neighbors. C'mon, Merle. It wouldn't hurt to check." You were beginning to plead, but your fight was also fading. You wouldn't force Merle to go this much out of his way. That's why you were surprised when he nodded his head.

"Fine, but if we show up there 'n there ain't nothing..." Merle seems to mull over his request, before looking to you. "I get tah see ya naked."

"What?!" You exclaimed, startled at his request.

"Yah already got tah see all of ol' Merle, only seems fair that I get tah see all of yah."

"I didn't force you to show me your... stuff." You scrambled over your words, embarrassed at his suggestion. Why would he want to see you naked? He couldn't benefit from that.

"We don't have tah go to yer cabin."

"..." You narrowed your eyes at Merle, knowing he must be internally smirking at the moment. He had you in a trap and unless you were lucky, it wouldn't end well for you. You thought over your decision, before sighing. "Fine, you get one look at me naked if there isn't anything there."

"Hell yeah." Merle's smirk split his face and he sped up the truck. "If we don't get tah the place tonight, we will definitely get there in the mornin'. It ain't too far from here."

"You're really hoping that place is ransacked, aren't you?"

"I'm hopin' it's bare, like you'll be."

~Merle's P.O.V.~

Merle knew he shouldn't have put down an agreement like that, but he really couldn't help himself. He was going to request a kiss, but after seeing that situation with "Deputy Shithead", he wasn't going to force the girl into anything sexual. He saw how much it hurt her and Merle felt relieved that he hadn't tried to pursue her like that in the past. He wouldn't have forced her, but Merle does tend to lay his advances on thick.

The woods up in the mountains were much heavier than the ones on the Georgian countryside, but Merle could already tell that night was falling. He hadn't seen a place to take cover in for miles and he finally decided to pull over onto the side of the road, burying the truck behind some trees so other passerby's wouldn't notice them. He turned off the engine of the car, turning off the headlights before looking over at the girl.

"Damnit..." Merle muttered. The girl was leaned up against the door, fast asleep. She had been quiet for most of the ride, but she must've been tired from staying up on watch all night long. The redneck fought with himself about waking her up, but he knew it would be more comfortable and safer to get her off the window. Merle unbuckled and reached over with his one hand, nudging the girl's arm. "Come on, sugah. Gotta get up."

The girl jumped at that, her hands flying down to the ice picks that hang at her sides. She looks to Merle with wild eyes, but relaxes seeing that it's just him.

"Sorry... It's scary getting wakened up in the apocalypse." The girl apologized, but Merle shook his head.

"Ya ain't the only one." Merle nodded to the back seat. "Ya should go on to the backseat. Gotta be more comfortable than the window."

"What about you?"

"I can recline this front seat, just make sure yer head ain't below me." Merle smiled a little, nudging the girl, again. "Go on, before I claim it."

"Okay..." The girl yawned, before unbuckling and climbing to the backseat. She shifted the stuff onto the floor of the car, before grabbing both of the blankets. She chucked one to Merle, before draping one over herself. She lied down and curled up, as Merle covered himself with the other blanket.

Merle reclined the chair back, stopping it above the girl's feet before removing the bayonet from his arm. The redneck relaxed back into the seat, stretching out his legs and closed his eyes. He wasn't too tired, but he knew he needed to rest. As Merle tried to fall into subconscious, he heard the girl's quiet shuffling. They went on and Merle opened his eyes, looking back at her.

"Why are ya still shufflin' about?" Merle rasped out, as the girl sat up on her elbow. She looked slightly ashamed, before she looked down.

"Just cold. Was trying to warm myself up, but I'm not having any luck." She admitted. Merle frowned at that and huffed as he sat up.

"Where ya cold at?"

"Mostly my feet, but since the heater is off..." The girl trailed off as she watched Merle, pull the seat back up and begin to climb back into the back row. "Merle, what... What are you doing?"

"We'll get one of yer rice bags heated tomorrow fer ya, but fer now, we'll have tah deal with body heat." Merle frowned slightly. Any other day, he would've leapt at the excuse to hold the girl close. Hell, if this were before the end of the world, he would've warmed her up his own way. But the timing was all wrong. The girl had recently been sexually assaulted and it wasn't even three nights ago that she refused to sleep in the same room as him.

Why would she want to be right up against his body?

"You don't have to, Merle. Really." The girl insisted as Merle made it over, sitting on the edge of the backseat. Well, she certainly knew how to turn him off. At least that would make him less likely to make moves on her.

"Do ya want tah freeze yer ass off?" Merle inquired, receiving a shake of the head. "Just fer tonight. I'm not gonna do anything. 'Sides this ain't the first time we've slept by each other, darlin'."

"... You're right. It would be smarter to sleep beside each other anyway." The girl moved so she was up against and facing the back of the seat. Merle took that as her allowing him to sleep next to her. The redneck slid onto the seat, pulling the second blanket over the both of them. He sidled up behind her and brought up his feet to press into the back of hers.

"Shit! Ya are cold!"

"I told you!" The girl snapped back, but he heard the amusement in her voice. At least she wasn't too tense.

"Gonna freeze me tah death, woman. What are ya gonna do then?"

"If you're freezing to death, so am I." The girl affirmed. "We'll go out together."

"Sounds like a dumbass way tah die."

"But it would be better than any of the deaths I've seen so far." The girl spoke softly and Merle felt a twist in his chest at that.

"Well, I ain't lettin' that happen tah ya, sweet cheeks."

"I know you won't." The girl turned her head to peek at Merle, before slowly reaching over and taking ahold of his stump. Merle tensed as ___ maneuvered the arm over to wrap around her waist. She turned her head away, again, her arm resting over his. "If you're going to keep me warm, you'll need to be closer than that."

"Whatever ya say, girl." Merle smirked. Seeing as she wasn't uncomfortable with him, Merle pressed his body up against her back. She relaxed into him, resting her head against his chest. Merle brought her a bit closer with his stump as he sighed, resting his head on top of hers. "Feel any warmer?"

"Much. Thanks, Merle. Goodnight." ___ softly said, her legs curling against his as she drifted to sleep. Merle looked down at the girl wrapped up in his arm before relaxing himself, falling asleep.

~

Merle woke up to the sound of thumping at his window. He glanced up to find a stray Walker, clawing at the door with no luck of getting in. Merle grunted and went to push himself up, but as he moved he felt the body intertwined with his. He looked down at the girl, finding her still fast asleep.

She had shifted somewhat during the night, their legs more wrapped around each other. Merle's leg was basically brought across her lower half, not that he minded. The girl was hugging Merle's stump to her chest and though he enjoyed the warmth radiating there, he couldn't help but feel self-conscious.

Very rarely did he let people see the scars of those days on the roof. He preferred having the gauntlet on, covering up his horrible scarring. It had been fixed well by that doctor back in Woodbury, but a missing hand would always seem morbid. He remembered the look of fear and disgust on Emma's face when she caught a glimpse of it. He always wore the gauntlet, even during sex, something Emma agreed to.

But this hadn't been the first time the girl had seen his stump. She and her father had removed his gauntlet when they found him, in case he was a fighter. For a couple months, she had seen his stump out in the open. He recalled how the girl told him she wasn't scared of it, but she found it different. Very different.

Merle was itching for the gauntlet at this point. He felt weak and vulnerable, the last thing he wanted to do was see the girl wake up and shrug away from him at the sight of his stump.

Merle moved his arm from under his head and shifted it down to grab his gauntlet. He froze when he felt the girl move within his grasp. He brought his arm back up and looked to the girl to find her waking up. She groaned a little, bringing up one of her hands to rub at hers eyes. She stretched her legs and stiffened a little, feeling Merle right behind her.

"Awake now, sugah? Surprised the biter wasn't the one tah wake ya." Merle commented, trying to break the tension before it built itself up. He felt the girl relax in his hold, before her eyes fluttered open. She glanced up at him with a small, tired smile before looking down at the stump in her arms. She didn't seem phased as she slowly released him.

"Sorry, guess your arm was keeping me warm." The girl apologized as Merle just looked at her, incredulous. ___ finally noticed the look he was sending her and became slightly sheepish. "What?"

"Nothing." Merle shook his head, grinning a little. "Yer just too funny, girl."

"Guess we better get going..." The girl sat up and glared at the Walker through the window. "Want me to get him?"

"I'll get 'im. It'll be safer with the bayonet on then with yer arms all open."

"Good point." The girl pushed herself to sit up, but glanced down at Merle from her position. Merle felt a heat rise up his chest at the way the girl was looking at him. But as soon as the look came, the girl looked away. Merle hated the mix signals. He would have rather she shown she downright hated him, than making him question whether she did or not.


	15. Heading to the Falls

It took two more days of driving to reach the place Merle was talking about. It was mostly due to Merle not having driven this road in a long time and your own insistence on driving. The man was stubborn, but you really felt like he shouldn't always be driving. You sat in the passenger seat now, looking out the window as the forest blurred by.

Your thoughts fell back to the last two nights spent with Merle. It hadn't been the first time you slept beside Merle, but it had been the first time you had since he was with Emma. You knew you shouldn't let that bother you, you weren't "sleeping" with him that way. You weren't with him in any romantic way. But it still bothered you a little.

No matter what, having his chest pressed up against your back and his legs wrapped around yours, it felt too intimate. Then you would think of his last partner and how she probably didn't have cold feet, she probably kept him warm at night. You thought about how Merle probably wished she or someone like her was around to keep him pleased. Take some stress off. You couldn't be that person.

That first morning waking up to Merle, he finally looked well rested and genuinely happy. You were even tempted to kiss him, but you backed down. You didn't want him to think you just wanted him physically and you also didn't want to scare him away.

"Next time we turn on the engine, we're grabbin' yer CDs. This silence is killin' me." Merle broke your thoughts and you jumped at his louder tone within the silence.

"Wait, you have my CDs?" You looked to him surprised, but grateful.

"Grabbed 'em before we left the prison." Merle shrugged lightly. "Figured you'd want 'em back."

"Yeah... That's so thoughtful of you, Merle." You beamed, glancing back at his bike where the CDs must be stuffed away in one of its pockets. "We'll play whatever CD you want to hear first."

"I doubt ya have any music I'd like."

"Did you even look at them?"

"Hell no."

"You might be surprised then. I might have some stuff you'd like." You smiled teasingly at Merle and he just rolled his eyes.

"We're just about there. Ya remembered our deal."

"How could I forget?" It was your turn to roll your eyes. The man had been mentioning the deal every day and it made you wonder just how excited he was to maybe see your bare form. You weren't sure how to feel about that.

"Good, don't want ya tah miraculously forget when we get there." Merle sent you an accusing look, but you could tell he was just messing with you. A couple minutes passed, until you could make out a long building in the distance. From its appearance you could tell it was a small snow equipment rental shop. There was a small garage area off to the side of it, that could potentially hold eight cars. "Here we are."

"How'd you know about this place?"

"Daryl 'n I would escape tah the mountains when we could. One time we left with a couple of druggies up here. They showed us the ins-n-outs of this place." Merle explained. "It's the biggest vacation my little brother 'n I had. Almost got thrown in the local prison though."

"Hopefully I can make this a better vacation than that." You frowned at his brief story. Sometimes you wished you could just take ahold of little Merle and Daryl, and tell them that they are loved and needed. That one day, they would have a family. Maybe not by blood, but a family nonetheless.

You looked to Merle. You felt that he was a large part of your family now, but you weren't sure how the others felt. Maybe Daryl and Carol, but are the others open enough to him being part of... Whatever was there?

Merle pulled up to the garage and hopped out, not turning off the engine. You slid over to the driver's seat, sticking your head out the window.

"You forgot about the engine!" You pointed out.

"I left it on on purpose, darlin'. You're drivin' it into the garage. I'm openin' it so ya can actually get in." Merle stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world. It made more sense now as you grabbed the wheel with one hand and the gearshift with the other. Merle stepped over to the garage door and bent down to grab the bottom of it with his one hand. Merle hefted the door upwards and once he got it a foot above the ground, he brought his blade arm up to rest against as he continued to push it up.

You couldn't help but watch the spectacle closely, Merle's legs were obscured but his arms were open to the eye. It had been a while since you watched the strain of his muscles and the pulsing of his veins.

You needed to stop, you were only going to hurt yourself.

With one good heave up, the garage door flew open. Off to the side was one run-down car that was left behind, but there would definitely be enough room to get the truck into the garage. Merle stepped to the side, wiping some sweat from his brow as he gestured you forward. You shifted gears and drove the car carefully forward into the garage. Once inside, you turned off the engine and hopped out of the car.

"To get tah the falls, we have tah trek from here. No roads nearby lead up tah it." Merle explained as you stepped over to him. He climbed up into the back of the truck and began to pull out your bags and supplies from his bike. He left behind anything that you didn't need immediately, like your CDs or his extra cigarette boxes. "Ya can handle that, right, sweet cheeks?"

"I came here originally to mountain climb. It would be nice to actually do that." You touched the picks at your side, excited to put them to some real use.

"Was thinkin' we should check the shop, see if there is anything there tah help with gettin' up there more proficiently." Merle glanced in the direction of the rental shop, rolling his shoulders slightly. "A damn tent would be nice."

"No kidding." You snorted at his comment. "We could also use some more climbing gear. I'm not letting you scale with your bare hand."

"I don't think I'm climbing at all, sugah." Merle lifted up his bayonet. "Don't really have the hands to do it."

"Maybe... But maybe not." You took your bag from Merle, slinging it over your shoulder. "Let's go check the place out."

~

The place had been raided somewhat, but a lot of the snow equipment was left behind. You sent Merle to go get any normal survival tools, while you stepped up to the equipment. You grabbed a long length of dry rope, two helmets, two harnesses, a pair of rappel and pulley devices, two artificial anchors, before moving to the ice picks. You were keeping your own, but you knew Merle would need a pair of his own.

Speak of the devil, Merle made his way back over with a new bag filled with stuff. You smiled at him as he tossed you over an empty bag. He also had a bag strapped across his chest, hanging off his back.

"For anything ya need tah stuff away." He merely explained.

"What were you able to get?" You asked, eyeing his bag.

"Got a map of the area, sunscreen, found a couple flashlights 'n a pack of new batteries, first-aid kit but nothing like yer pop's, lighter, duck tape, 'n a brand new helluva tent." Merle tapped the strap that was across his chest. Sheesh, he was holding all that? That man was gonna ruin his back and you didn't want that while mountain climbing. You shook your head, slightly amused.

"I'm taking some of that stuff so you don't carry it all." You stated, not really giving him a choice.

"Fine, but I'm carryin' the tent." He wasn't giving you a choice on that issue, so you let it be.

"I have just about everything, but we both need some mountain climbing boots and you need some ice picks to climb up the mountain." You announced as you walked over to the wall lined with ice picks.

"I told ya already, darlin'. I can't climb."

"I'm gonna change that." You snapped, grabbing an ice pick off the wall and tossing it to Merle. He caught it with his one hand, though did have to drop the bag he was holding to do so. "How does it feel?"

"Aren't they all the same?"

"Basically, pick out a pair you want and stop fighting me on this."

"Think they have any ADL decals?" Merle mused, as he clicked the ice picks away and began to examine some of the others.

"You're horrible, Dixon." You shot him a look as you glanced over the snow boots, before sliding a box out with your size labeled on the side. "I think we both know you aren't so racist anymore."

"Maybe I finally see a point tah the others." Merle picked up a pair of ice picks with his one hand. They were a dark shade of navy and were rather plain, but their blades were sharp and you could tell they were a good pair of picks. "How 'bout these?"

"They're perfect." You smiled and motioned him over to the shoes. You sat down and undid your shoes, as he strides over. You pulled your shoe off and took a snow boot out, sliding onto your foot. You did up the laces and stood up, walking around a little. It was perfect.

"Why do I feel like you're not tellin' me something?" Merle frowned a little, as you turned to face him.

"Because I'm not." You stepped over to him and took his picks, before gesturing to his bayonet. "I'll need to borrow your bayonet for a moment."

"What? Hell no." Merle held his prosthetic protectively to his chest, giving you a slight scowl. "Why d'ya need it?"

"Do you really want the specifics?" You scratched the side of your head, but Merle only continued to look down his nose at you. You sighed, lowering your arms. "Merle, I want to modify your gauntlet. It's perfect as a weapon and that's what it should mainly be, but maybe we could hook a pick axe up to it. Then you can climb mountains just like anyone with two hands."

"..." Merle's eyes flickered over your form, before he lowered his blade arm. "Ya really think you can do that?"

"It might take me a couple hours, but..." You nodded slightly. Merle swallowed, his face contorting in a series of expressions but he finally sighed.

"Don't ruin it, alright?" Merle looked you dead in the eye as he reached up and undid the straps. "Only got one of 'em."

"I promise to keep good care of it." You spoke softly back, your expression relaxing. Merle slid off the prosthetic and handed it to you. You gingerly took it and gave him a sincere look. Your chest tightened and your stomach flipped, seeing that he trusted you with something personal to him. "Find some snow boots and take your time. I'm not sure how long I'll be working on this."

"Hope ya finish it quick. If too much time passes, it will be safer tah stay here for the night than to start walkin' in the fallin' sun." Merle mentioned as he stepped over to look through the rows of snow boots. He was right and so you made your way to the snow equipment tools, ready to get started on your project.

~

Just like Merle had predicted, your goal went on a bit too long and you both hunkered down in the ski rental shop. You finished the ice pick variation of Merle's gauntlet and showed it off to him, handing back the Nazi knife that was originally attached to the prosthetic. The ice pick was screwed in like the knife had been and was stiff enough to not be moved, but long enough that Merle could control it.

"It's not as practical as the knife." You admitted as you handed the gauntlet and knife back. "But it will be perfect for mountain climbing."

"Looks wicked." Merle nodded in approval as he took the gauntlet and slid it onto his arm. He angled his arm with the ice pick as a smirk formed on his face. "Look like a horror movie villain, huh?"

"If that's the case, I'm glad you're on my side."

Night had long since fallen and you both decided it best to turn in for the night. You both grabbed your own sleeping bag and set up in another more safe room to rest in. As you curled up in your bag, despite the provided heat, you felt cold. It was one thing to retain heat, but to share it was very different. You were missing Merle's large presence behind you.

"Yah not gettin' any sleep either, sweet cheeks?" Speak of the devil. You looked over your shoulder at Merle who stood above you, his sleeping bag draped over his arm. His prosthetic was off, since it got in the way much easier with the new extension, so his stump was in view for all to see.

"Just cold." You smiled softly. Merle grunted as he gestured to your sleeping bag.

"Unzip it 'n lay it out flat." He ordered. You raised an eyebrow, but did as he said. You flattened out your sleeping bag across the ground and when you looked back to Merle, you were surprised to find him kicking off his shoes and getting down beside you. He lied across one half of your sleeping bag, you on the other half, as he draped his sleeping bag across the both of you. His heat already began to hit you, as he tucked his one hand arm under his head as a cushion, looking to you. "Any better?"

"A little." Was all you could get out, feeling slightly flustered. And as if to make you more so, Merle scooted closer and brought his stump over to wrap around your waist, bringing you closer.

"How 'bout now?" He smirked, knowingly. He was just teasing you, that's all. You rolled your eyes, but sent him a tired smile.

"That's much better, thank you." You closed your eyes, curling up your legs as they brushed against his slightly at the movement. As your subconscious began to drift, you felt his feet press into the bottom of yours, heating up your cold soles.

~Merle's P.O.V.~

Merle had long since awoken that morning, but despite knowing he needed to get up and get ready to climb a mountain, something caught his eye and distracted him. That being the girl curled up in his arms. ___ was still fast asleep, but she had moved closer in the night. She now had her head resting against his chest and one of her arms around his waist. Her mouth was slightly opened and besides the rank morning breathe, Merle was very amused by how silly she looked.

It wasn't like waking up with Emma or any of the other sluts Merle had slept with. He woke up to them and they were naked, all up against him. But they didn't want to be there with him in the morning. They were only there for the sex, something he was guilty of, too. It was different waking up to a girl who wanted you there for comfort, rather than sex.

Merle didn't deserve it, but he preferred it over the alternative. Being alone.

A sudden movement caused Merle to stiffen as he looked back down at the girl in his arms. ___ had shifted in her sleep and her face scrunched up slightly, as she brought up one of her legs. It pressed into Merle's legs as Merle continued to watch the girl in curiosity. ___ gasped in her sleep, the hand across Merle's waist gripping onto his shirt. Merle had an idea of what was going on, but the girl confirmed it for him.

"A-ah!" The girl gasped lightly, again, as Merle watched the spectacle in both shock and amusement. She was definitely having a wet dream, who knew she was this verbal about it? She mumbled some more incoherent stuff, but she managed to pant out some words a bit louder than others. "Please... I..."

Merle would be lying if he said he wasn't turned on. Since he primarily slept with sluts, they were eager and fierce during the act. But from the sound of it, this girl acted exactly like what she was. A virgin. Fragile, helpless, but still willing.

"... Merle..." That definitely caused Merle to freeze up as he looked back down at the girl. She had calmed down and relaxed from her tense state that was only a few moments ago. Her arm was lax against him and her breathes became deep, again. Merle's thoughts immediately turned to the most likely situation for her saying his name, but he knew he would need to use some common sense, too.

The girl wouldn't just say his name during a dream like that. Unless she was thinking of him like that. But she wouldn't ever think of him that way.

Merle swallowed a little as he watched the girl, wishing that she was older and that he had a better chance. He still wasn't sure what really caught his eye with her. Sure he did want to sleep with her, but that wasn't it. He could go without. But strangely enough, he wished he could just see her look at him even more deeply.

It was rare for a woman to genuinely smile at him, but maybe even real... Love... Merle cringed at the words in his head as he closed his eyes and quickly shifted his thoughts. He was definitely going to hell. If the murders he was behind wasn't enough, pursuing a kid would definitely send him into the flames.

"Ugh..." The girl shifted, again, and finally decided to wake up. ___ blinked open her eyes and tiredly looked up at Merle. She stiffened finding him awake. "Merle...? How long have you been up?"

"Not too long." Merle lied. The girl nodded groggily, before she slowly unwrapped her arm from around his waist. She was quick to get up, pulling away from his own arms as she stumbled to her feet.

"I'll go get changed. You should, too." The girl rubbed her eyes, before hurriedly adding. "Unless you want to rest some more!"

"Damn, girl. What's got ya so skittish?" Merle joked, leaning up on his elbow. The girl hesitated slightly.

"I'm sorry, it's just..." ___ ran a hand through her hair, sighing slightly. "It's been a while and I wasn't sure if I should act the same around you or... I thought maybe it would be awkward. We aren't in a community of people, we've been sleeping beside each other, and you lost Emma... I don't want to seem like an inconsiderate jerk."

"Well, hell." Merle chuckled and pushed off the sleeping bag and climbing to his feet with a grunt. "You're a bit hard on yerself, sugah. Do ya really think I'm the kinda guy who cares how people act around him?"

"When you put it like that, I sound really silly." The girl smiled a little, rubbing her arm.

"Nothing's changed, girl. I still like bein' 'round ya and I like the dumb stuff ya talk 'bout." Merle stretched his arms, popping his shoulders.

"You think it's dumb?"

"Not when it comes from ya."

"Merle." The girl bit her lip and hesitated, before shaking her head. She offered a warm smile, as she stepped over and slapped his arm slightly. "I like being around you, too. But I guess your brother told you that already."

"Yeah, but I like hearin' it from ya. Now go put yer dry panties on, darlin'. We're climbin' some mountains today and ya might want them." Merle teased, as the girl became a dark red. She went to playfully punch him, but Merle caught her arm and sent her a smirk. "I'll wrestle with ya later, angel."

The girl stood stock still, before Merle released her arm and she relaxed. She sent him a playful glare, before turning and heading to where they had set up their equipment. Merle watched her, before picking up his second layer to slip on. Some adrenaline had begun to course through Merle's veins and he knew he needed to calm down. But that girl made him want to run for hours.

Maybe she'd be the one making him climb for hours.

~Reader's P.O.V.~

Never would you have thought after meeting Merle you would find yourself in this predicament. Both of you decked out in snow clothes, with at least three layers on, carrying packs on your back, picks on your sides (one in his case, since the other was attached to his arm), and even more climbing gear to scale some mountain sides. This continued to boggle your mind as you glanced at Merle.

He had insisted on just wearing his tank-top and tan, button-up shirt, but you had got him to wear a winter coat. He did pick out the color, which was just a boring black, but he still looked really good with it. He also wore one of the harnesses you grabbed earlier. Add in the curls messily strewn across his head and the ice pick attached to his arm, and you found yourself looking at a man different than the one you found crashed in a car. You really loved him.

"Something up, sweet cheeks?" Merle had caught your staring and raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry, just thinking about when I found you." You smiled a little, shouldering your bag tighter against you. "You look completely different, aside from the face. A lot has changed since then..."

"You've changed, too. Hair got longer 'n you've matured." Merle smirked a little as he shoved you lightly. "Ya look like a woman now."

"Was I always a little girl to you, Dixon?" You taunted back.

"When I first met ya? Hell yeah. Just a kid." Merle snorted as he looked ahead. "Aside from that look in the eye ya got when thinkin' 'bout Terminus."

"When did you realize that I was a grown woman?"

"..." You looked to Merle from his lack of response and found him thinking about it. "When I lost ya. I just woke up one day in the back of a truck 'n realized that ya weren't a girl. You were a woman."

"..." You were a bit startled at the sincerity of his words and you cleared your throat, trying to find your own. "Well, I've always thought you a grown man, Merle. Maybe a bit immature at first, but..."

"But?" Merle raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing's really changed." You joked, a grin pulling at your lips. Merle rolled his jaw and narrowed his eyes at you.

"Trust me, ol' Merle can be very mature."

"I think we're both talking about two different types of maturity."

"I'm glad ya got my drift." Merle cackled lightly, before gesturing ahead with his pick arm. "Looks like you're up, sugah."

You turned to look ahead, before finding a tall wall of rock. A cliffside. You glanced down both ways, but found you would have to walk quite some distance to reach any lower ends. You glanced at Merle with a smile, before grabbing the rope hanging from your waist.

"Alright, I'm setting up some ground rules now." You grabbed Merle by his harness and pulled him closer, as you brought up the rope and began to tie it through the main strap of his harness. "I'm giving you three rules, can you handle that?"

"Depends on what they are." Merle watched you tie an intricate, tight knot with the rope onto his harness.

"Rule number one, when we are climbing you will do everything I show and tell you to do. Rule number two, when we are climbing you will not mess around and do tricks. And Merle..." You grabbed his harness and pulled him down so he was eye level with you. You were serious with what you were about to say and your expression reflected that. "Rule number three, if we get in a bad situation, neither of us are unlatching and falling to our deaths. We either get up this mountain together or we fall together. Got it?"

"... You got it, darlin'." Merle answered with a grimace.

"Okay, I hope you mean it." You released Merle, before unhooking the helmets that hung from the back of your harness. The first one you brought over, you held up and placed on Merle's head. You clicked it on and brushed away the stray curls that were pressed down.

"Ya done now, woman?" Merle lightly rolled his eyes and you laughed, putting your own helmet on.

"Not until we reach the top." You finished by tying the end of the rope onto your own harness. You motioned Merle forward and you both approached the bottom of the cliff. You unhooked your two ice picks and took a deep breathe. You've waited a year for this, no time to waste. You jabbed your pick into a crevice in the rock wall and began to scale up.

You were a bit rusty at first, having trouble finding footholds, but you caught on fast and muscle memory quickly resurfaced. You reached about fifteen feet up the cliffside, before deciding you needed to anchor. You unhooked your artificial anchor from your side and slid it into a deep crevice. With a click, it extended out within the crevice, creating a tight grip. With the pulley items, you hooked one end to the anchor and one to yourself, before looking down at Merle.

"I got us anchored. Start climbing up." You called down.

"Is it a little late tah mention that I haven't done anything this crazy before?" Merle called back up.

"I'm here to walk you through it! This is the career I wanted anyhow!" You grinned at that, reminiscing on the career you had worked so hard for. A mountain guide, maybe you could live some of that dream here. "Stick your picks into the crevices to get a good grip and find footholds with your feet. Don't be scared about falling, I'm tightening the rope as you climb, so you won't fall to the ground. I'll break your fall and get you back to the surface of the mountain."

"You're a tiny thing, sweet cheeks. Fallin' seems out of the question." Despite his remark, Merle reached up with his pick arm and stabbed it into a crevice in the wall, beginning to pull himself up.

"I'm anchored. It won't just be my weight holding onto you."

"That makes me feel a helluva lot better." Merle scoffed lightly. He didn't climb as fast as you did, but you could see him gain a rhythm as he climbed up. That's good, that means he was getting used to the strain. He really was a natural born survivor. Soon enough, Merle made it to your side and sent you a toothy grin. "How's that?"

"I'm impressed. You did really good... For a beginner." A strike of boldness got you, probably from the thrill of rock climbing, and you winked at him. He seemed amused by your excitement. You laughed lightly, before looking over your shoulder. Your expression relaxed and you nodded back. "That's the main reason I fell in love with rock climbing."

Merle looked back over his shoulder and found the same sight you were admiring. A sea of trees lay behind him, bright green. The sky was a deep blue, with clusters of white shifting over its surface. In the distance he could barely make out the forms of buildings in Atlanta. The wind had nothing blocking its way and was brushing against you both, causing shivers despite the layers.

"You can see a lot from up here, huh?" Merle hummed, resting his weight against the mountain. He looked to you and you both caught eyes for a moment. "Never seen ya so happy."

"Seeing the world from up here, like this... Makes it seem like nothing's changed. Like everything is like it was." You took a deep breathe of the chill mountain air and exhaled deeply. Your heart twisted in regret, knowing the world had changed. You looked back to Merle and felt your pained heart warm up. You were so grateful to be with him. You reached down and unhooked the anchor hook, before attaching it to Merle's harness. "You're holding on to me now. Let's keep going."


	16. Finally

You both climbed different cliffs for the rest of the day. Nothing was as high as that first one, but you still had to be careful with the climb up. When you weren't climbing, you were trekking through the thick wilderness of trees, which took up most of your time. The sun disappeared behind the trees, when you finally came across a familiar cold substance. Snow.

"We're getting higher up." You knelt beside the snow patch and pressed your hand into it. You recoiled at the chill, but smiled. You loved snow and you hadn't seen it in over a year. "What month do you think it is?"

"I reckon about February." Merle answered as he came to stand beside you.

"We missed Christmas at the prison?"

"Guess we wouldn't have known without someone keepin' track of the time." Merle stretched out his fingers, having hooked his ice pick to his side like you did. "Had a warm winter down at the prison."

"It happens sometimes. It's too bad we missed Christmas though."

"Don't worry, darlin'." Merle knelt beside you and put an arm around your shoulders, pulling you into his side. "You pick a day 'n we'll celebrate a late Christmas. It's just a holiday tah remind us of our savior 'n to do good fer others."

"Did you remember our savior and do good for others two months ago?" You teased a little, as he pulled his arm away from you.

"Not sure... Remember we got some horses at the time, 'n ya got up 'n sang. Guess that was mah Christmas gifts. Better than any I got before." Merle smirked as you both rose back to your feet. "I even got on better terms with the Nubian Queen."

"You also met Emma around that time." You recalled, your heart faltering as you frowned. "Do you miss her some days?"

"... No." You looked to Merle surprised at his honest answer. He gave you a slight shrug. "She was a good gal. Don't have no ill will towards her, but we weren't close despite circumstances. Shame she died, but it ain't tearin' me apart."

"Too busy looking for your brother, huh?" You smiled a little at that.

"And you. I'm more worried about the livin' than the dead. Can't do anything about the dead, but the livin'? Ya can make sure they're still livin'." Merle eyed you for a moment, before wetting his lips and giving you a serious look. "No more talk 'bout Emma, alright? She's in the past. Don't want you dwellin' on it."

"You're right." You nodded in agreement. "No more. We focus on the people still with us, right now."

"Damn right." Merle looked ahead and to the patches of snow that became more abundant the further towards the peaks. "Better camp here tonight, than have tah set up a tent on the snow in the dark."

"I'm setting up the tent." You affirmed and before Merle could argue, you quickly continued. "I'm not having you grapple with materials you're ice pick or knife arm could pierce through."

"I'm settin' traps 'n startin' a fire. Ya can't fight me there." Merle growled slightly, before setting down his bag and already pulling out some tripwires. You smiled at Merle's stubbornness as you dropped your own bag, before detaching the tent bag from Merle's.

~

It wasn't long before you had a tent up and Merle had a fire going. As you set out your sleeping bags inside the tent, Merle went to go hunting nearby while also setting up some rabbit traps. You had replaced Merle's ice pick with his original knife and decided to set yourself to work sharpening the two pairs of ice picks. You started with Merle's, working them to a sharp edge.

You were lost in your work and hadn't really paid attention to your surroundings, but one loud groan was enough to snap you out of that. You shot up, gripping Merle's ice pick, while snatching up one of your own. You looked over to see a walker stumbled out of the trees and trip over one of Merle's wires. He collapsed to the ground and rather than give him a chance to get up, you rushed over and slammed your pick into the back of his head. You pressed your foot against the biter's head and pulled out your pick.

"Where did you come from, huh?" You hated the thought of other people around, but as you pushed the Walker onto his back, you found he was void of any injuries. The man died recently, he still had all his skin clinging to him. That's why you were even more surprised when his arm toppled off. How could a recently turned man's arm fall off. You examined the limb and its tear from the body, before noticing something in common. "Blue skin..."

Very faintly, the dead skin was seen to be a pale blue. This man must've died from hypothermia and when he turned his walker body deteriorated even quicker. That must mean one thing, walkers can't last long in the cold. That just might mean they try to avoid it. You became excited by this revelation and quickly stood, rushing over to clean your pick and get back to sharpening them.

~Merle's P.O.V.~

Merle wasn't sure how the girl could stand this chill. Despite the layers and the good snow boots, the cold air was still nipping at Merle's neck. The redneck raised up his pistol with the silencer, aiming at a shearwater picking at the ground. Click. The bird went down and Merle grinned as he stepped over and tied it to his side with the two other birds he'd caught.

Merle glanced at the cliff sides not too far off and frowned. He hoped the journey wasn't much longer. His bones were getting old and he didn't like the thought of camping in the snow. Freezing to death was not an option. He wish he could get warm with the girl in other ways, but he also didn't want to drive her away.

Deciding he's caught enough meat for the night and the morning, Merle made the short way back to the camp. He wasn't too surprised to find the dead walker off to the side, though he did send the girl a look. She smiled, finishing up her ice picks as she got up. Merle wasn't sure why she was excited, but he liked seeing that smile aimed at him.

"Merle, I want to know if you think it's a possibility, but... Do you think walkers might hate snow and the cold?" ___ asked as Merle stepped over and began untying the birds. Merle thought about it for a moment.

"They might not be able tah survive in it just like humans. Probably doesn't do any good fer their bones either." Merle glanced over at the dead walker and gestured to it. "Think he liked the cold?"

"He died up here as a human, but I think you're right... I think he was trying to get away from the cold." The girl looked to the higher peaks of the mountain. "Unless people die up this way, that must mean walkers avoid the cold entirely. We'd never run into one living up here."

"Livin'?" Merle almost choked at the prospect. It's not like he hasn't lived alone in the same home as the girl, but as a permanent residence shared together? Too many ideas grew from the thought of that.

"Hypothetically." ___ quickly added. "We need to find your brother. That's priority one, not considering living in the mountains."

"He'd of liked it here. Daryl breathes mountains 'n the wild."

"And you?"

"I like the isolation, but I don't belong here like he does." Merle shrugged lightly, but the girl only smiled a little and brought an arm around his, hooking them together.

"You guys belong together, battling side by side."

"Well, ya ain't wrong." Merle smirked down the girl, before holding up the stringed birds. "Ready tah cook us a real meal?"

"That bird does look pretty good right now." The girl laughed slightly, before releasing Merle's arm and sitting down with him to get dinner ready.

~

Once the last rays of light were gone from the sun, Merle quickly helped put out the fire with the girl using the snow around the area to get it out. They had mostly filled their stomachs with dinner, but what wasn't enough was gained from the warmth of the meal. They had finished off two of the birds and Merle buried the other in the snow, hoping to keep it fresh and hidden from other predators. The redneck turned to the tent, his eyes now adjusted to the dark forest, and found the girl already sneaking inside. He smirked a little at that.

It was sort of an unspoken agreement, but the girl and Merle now we're set on sleeping right beside each other. The last two nights there was the awkwardness of asking, but when Merle saw the set up earlier, he knew they were just sleeping beside each other from now on. He did not mind that one bit.

Merle made his way over to the tent and pushed aside the flap, stepping in. After zipping up the tent, he kicked his boots off to the side before looking to the sleeping bags, his eyes slowly adjusting. The girl was already tucked in, curled up to one side but curled in a way where Merle could still spoon her. Good. Merle kept the rest of his clothes on, same as the girl had done, and slipped in behind her.

The girl shifted and glanced back at Merle, as he removed his prosthetic. Merle smirked a little, catching her stare before setting the prosthetic to the side. He moved closer, bringing his legs under hers as he wrapped his normal arm around her waist. He relaxed down into the sleeping bags, as the girl draped her arm over his.

"Thanks for today, Merle... I had a lot of fun, despite how the world is." The girl spoke softly, but her grateful tone wasn't missed.

"Course, sweet cheeks. Glad I was the one tah spend it with ya." Merle hushed back. The redneck hesitated and shifted in place for a moment, before continuing. "Looked beautiful, seein' ya look out at the forest. You're already a pretty thing, but that puts angels tah shame."

"..." Merle was afraid for a moment that he had stepped too far, but he was surprised to find the girl interlocking her fingers with his. "Thanks, Merle. That means a lot. I like hearing it from someone I care about."

"Better than an asshole?" Merle joked and he felt the girl silently laugh beside him.

"Yes, much better. Goodnight, Merle." The girl moved closer against Merle as the redneck caught his breathe. This girl was going to drive him crazy. Merle pressed his nose into the back of the girl's head, exhaling. But damn did he love her.

~Reader's P.O.V.~

You were both up at the crack of dawn. You packed up your stuff and took down the tent, while Merle checked the traps and cooked up breakfast. Two rabbits were hooked to Merle's side as he cooked up the rest of the bird that was left from the other day. You threw in the last couple of granola bars and voila, breakfast was served. Once you both were filled, you got on your way.

The next hour was spent tracking through the forest and climbing smaller cliff sides. They weren't a problem and that first one from yesterday still overshadowed them. Merle glanced around and whistled, looking back to you with a grin.

"No signs of any humans. It didn't snow, so there'd be some kind of sign if they were here." He pointed out.

"No one would be stupid enough to travel up here through the hazards and the cold." You commented back.

"Except us?" Merle raised an eyebrow and you laughed.

"Except us." You affirmed. "But we know what we're doing and where we're heading."

"One of us do." Merle corrected. You halted in your steps and Merle's expression twisted into one of concern. "Hey, didn't mean tah offend ya or something."

"It's not that." You shook your head and pointed ahead. Merle glanced ahead, before gritting his teeth and making his way forward with you. It was the tallest cliffside you'd come across together. It looked to be about a hundred and fifty feet. Not a challenge for someone like you, but Merle...

This was not his expertise.

"Shit." Merle cursed as he looked up at the looming earth.

"It will be alright. You got a mountaineer with you." You nudged Merle's arm as he glanced down at you. "We'll get up there. Besides, this might be the worst of it. There can't be any more bigger than this ahead. This isn't exactly the Rockies."

"Can't compare never been there." Merle grimaced slightly. "Either way, this looks like it's gonna be hell."

~

You started scaling the cliff like any other mountain. You would climb up first, find a good place to anchor yourself, before Merle would climb up. You would attach the anchor to him and continue on as normal. The problem here was that there was snow and ice along the cracks and crevices of the cliffside. You had some trouble setting up each anchor and Merle was catching onto your nervousness.

"We can back down, sugah. Rather that than see ya fall." Merle offered and you were surprised by his kind tone. But you glanced down at him with a reassuring smile.

"You're anchored and you'll break my fall if I do fall, I have nothing to worry about and neither do you." You tightened the rest of the anchor, before gesturing Merle up. "Come on, it's safe now."

"Ya won't fall? Can ya promise that?" Merle grunted as he began to climb up after you, lodging his ice pick arm into the side of the mountain as he climbed.

"I promise not to fall." You guaranteed as Merle made it up to your side. You sighed in relief, seeing he was having no trouble getting up the mountain. Maybe you really underestimated his abilities. Merle handed you the last anchor and you hooked it to your side. You attached the new anchor to Merle's climbing vest, before continuing to climb up.

Your calves were burning slightly since they didn't get a full day of rest, but you pushed down the small pain and continued to climb the wall. You brought up your ice pick and jabbed it into the side of the mountain that was covered with more snow, but yelped when it suddenly gave way. Small rocks tumbled out and fell past you, narrowly missing Merle on their way down. The redneck cursed as you brought away your pick and leaned against the mountain for support.

"What the hell was that?!" Merle shouted up at you.

"The snow is covering most of the upper half of this mountain, I can't tell where eroding rocks might be. I just need to take this slower, no worries." You reassured him, but your legs were shaking slightly. If the earth was weak right there, it wouldn't be much stronger higher up. You looked at the ends of the mountain and considered climbing back down. Maybe going around would be a better idea. But you knew this cabin couldn't be reached by foot, you would have to climb to it.

"Darlin', if we're gonna climb this, can we get movin'? I ain't gettin' any younger." Merle snapped you out of his thoughts and you heard the strain in his voice. This couldn't be good on his muscles, they weren't trained for stuff like this. You set your mouth in a line, before jabbing your pick into a firmer place in the mountain, beginning to pull yourself up, again.

Once you were high enough, you brushed away the snow, looking for a firm place to set up the next anchor. You found the best place you could put the anchor and quickly began to set it up. Once finished, you gestured Merle up. He undid the last anchor and began his way up towards you. He went at a slower rate, probably taking note of your earlier trial.

"Damn, we're high up." Merle stopped beside you and glanced to the ground.

"Half the size of the Statue of Liberty." You pointed out.

"Wish I was wasted, this would be a lot less stressful if I was..."

"Not for me, it wouldn't!" You exclaimed, though you couldn't help the smile that came to your face. You detached the anchor and reattached it to Merle's vest, before looking upwards. "The top is about... Twenty feet away? Maybe I can make it there now."

"Don't risk fallin' tah yer death tah reach the top. That's bein' stupid." Merle warned, giving you a slight scowl.

"It'd be safer to reach the top than to keep relying on the side of this mountain." You explained. Merle didn't look happy about it, but he nodded.

"I swear, woman. If ya fall, I'm gonna wring yer neck later for worryin' the shit out of me." Merle threatened, but it was nice to hear he was really concerned about your safety. Just as much as you worried for his own.

"Deal, Dixon." You smirked a little, before looking up again. You shifted your arms a little to get some strain out of them, before beginning to move up, again. You felt the weakened earth a lot more frequently now. "Merle, the holds are a lot more loose up here! Be careful when you're coming up!"

"Y'all better be careful, too!" The longer you were in this situation, the longer you began to see a different side of Merle. In most dangerous situations, he'd joke around with you. But maybe he was worried here, because he didn't have control here like he does in a fight. This wasn't a situation where he could save you.

Your movements were slow, but you calculated them, making sure not to place yourself in a dangerous situation. Soon enough, you were at the edge of the cliff. You took some deep breathes, looking at the top, before taking some small maneuvers up. Once you could see over the snow sitting on the top, you gave a heave and swung yourself over onto the flat land. The snow was a foot deep and chilled you to the bone, but you sighed in relief.

You were glad to be on stable land.

You quickly sat up and began to make a snow anchor for Merle. You didn't dare look over the edge in fear of falling, but you stuck your hand out and gestured Merle up.

"Come on! This is the final stretch!" You called.

"'Bout damn time!" Merle shouted up as he probably began to climb. You would've taken the moment to relax your muscles, but you wanted to make sure Merle made it up. You had to. You patted down some snow to keep it firm at the edges as you leaned on it with your elbows and looked over the edge. Merle was carefully making his way up, just like you had done.

The sun was almost overhead and beating down on your's and Merle's back. The wind moaned as it brushed past you both, rustling the trees. Merle was about an arm's length away, when he jabbed the ice pick he was holding into the earth. The ground shifted on that hold and slid away with piles of snow, taking Merle's pick with it. Merle managed to push himself to the side when the landslide happened, missing its path.

"Merle!" Your heart began to race in panic. "Come on, push yourself up! I'll grab your arm and pull you up the rest of the way!"

Merle gripped the side of the mountain with his open hand and brought a foot up to a hold, but the hold collapsed underneath him. The redneck returned to his standing place and looked around for more holds, but with the earth tumbling with every movement, he was running out of options. Merle opened his mouth to say something, but the small jut he was standing on crumbled, and he dropped a couple more inches. The tether between you two tugged on your climbing vest and you were pulled forward slightly, an action Merle didn't miss. The redneck frowned.

"Ya won't be able tah pull me up, sugah. Yer too small 'n this terrain is too slick." Merle pointed out and your heart only seemed to drop lower into your stomach.

"Merle! You promised me!" You shouted, tears would've sprung to your eyes if it wasn't so cold.

"I'm not draggin' ya down with me!" Merle snapped back.

"You promised you wouldn't unlatch!" You cried. Merle gave you a hard glare, before bringing back his pick arm. In a quick motion, he sliced down on the rope that tethered you both. It fell limp in front of you. "Merle!"

"I didn't unlatch, see? Now go!" Merle ordered, but you remained where you were. You sat up on your knees, tightening your tether to the snow anchor before taking a deep breathe. You got back down on your stomach and slid forward, hanging off the edge slightly. Merle shouted profanities at your upside position as you grabbed ahold of his one wrist. "Damnit, girl!"

"You promised me we would climb up together or fall together."

"Yer f***in' stubborn, you know that?! This is yer life 'n yer puttin' it on the line for some shithead!" Merle growled and tried to roll his wrist out of your grip.

"Yeah, a shithead I care about!" You shouted right back, tightening your hold. "Can't you get it through your thick head, Dixon?! I'm not letting you fall!"

"..." Merle gritted his teeth and you both heard the snow shift below him. He met your eyes with his light blue ones and your expression softened a little. Merle grabbed your wrist with his one hand, locking your hold. "Pull me up, angel."

You nodded, your hair swaying at the movement, as you prepared to pull yourself up. Merle pushed against the side of the mountain with his feet as the jut beneath him crumbled. The redneck pulled down on you with his weight, threatening to throw you both over, but you pulled back up with all your might. The snow anchor held with both your weights in tow.

You strained your muscles as you brought yourself back up to the top of the mountain, while maintaining a hold on Merle. The redneck swung his ice pick hand over and jabbed it into the edge of the mountain, pulling himself up and over the top of it.

Once Merle swung his legs over onto the snow, you both crawled away from the edge and collapsed in the snow. You both panted, you lying on your side and Merle lying on his back. Your breathes came out in puffs of warm air. Your heart finally calmed down as you lifted your head to look at Merle.

The redneck avoided your gaze, resting his intact arm over his chest. He closed his eyes for a moment. Your chest tightened as you finally swallowed the giant pill you didn't want to think of. Merle was gonna fall and kill himself. You weren't sure if this was a "in the moment" kind of thing or if he's been contemplating it for a while.

Either way it scared you.

You pushed yourself up to sit in the snow, your head lowered as your breathes evened out. Merle opened his eyes and slowly sat up, some snow falling off his shoulders. He finally looked to you and your chest loosened up when you found him giving you a grateful look. There was some plead in the look, too, and you knew he was sorry for what he almost did.

You were a hair's breathe away from losing Merle. You couldn't bare your heartache anymore.

You leaned forward and kissed Merle Dixon.

Your hand rested against his knee as you pressed your lips against his. They were chapped, just like your own, from the cold and were an otherwise rough texture. You pulled away, reopening your eyes. Merle stared at you, stunned, his mouth slightly open. You gave him an apologetic look, lowering your gaze.

"I'm sorry. That was way too forward." You apologized. A large hand came and cupped your chin, causing you to look up.

"Wish ya would've been more forward sooner." Light blue eyes shined at you, lit anew. Merle brought you back up to his lips, engaging you in the kiss this time. Your face heated up, but you felt a large weight lift off your shoulders. You pushed back in the kiss, bringing your other hand up to run through Merle's curls. The redneck hooked his pick arm around you, bringing you up against his chest and seeming to pseudo-hold you.

When you both broke the kiss, you let out deep breathes. You felt euphoric, but you couldn't help but feel cautious. Why would Merle be so eager to return your advances?

"Merle... I'm not like... Emma... I don't want... Sex and nothing else..." You breathed the words, exhausted, both physically and mentally. "I don't want... to just be... a plaything."

"Yer a virgin. I knew sex wasn't what ya were after." Merle chuckled underneath his breathe, looking at you through half-lidded eyes. "So, what were ya after?"

"You, all of you." You smiled, before leaning forward and resting your head against his chest. "Mostly your heart..."

"I don't got much of one tah give."

"I'll work with what I can get." You closed your eyes, feeling all the mental binds loosen around you. "So, you don't mind that I want more than sex?"

"I can go without it if ya keep kissin' me like that." Merle teased, rubbing your back.

"I'm gonna keep kissing you like that." You smiled and turned your head slightly to press a kiss against his neck. He chuckled at that.

"Come on, babe. Let's go find that cabin of yers 'n warm up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of Season 3! Now, I know. "I can't wait for Season 4!" I can't either and I even got started on it, but I have some unfortunate news for Readers.
> 
> I live in the USA, but I will be leaving the country for a year and a half for community service for my church in another country. In that time, I won't have access to the Internet, aside from messaging my parents once a week. Meaning, I won't be able to upload anything until January 2020. I know, it's a long time and I apologize, but I hope I ended off this story for now with a tied off ending.
> 
> Please, leave lots of love while I'm gone and I promise you to return with even more stories to tell!


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